Recommendation 26

Half of the 665 ongoing PFI contracts are set to expire within the next decade, at which point the assets usually revert to the public sector.58 It is important that public authorities manage these contracts well so that assets in good condition return to the public sector.59 Unitary charges are the fees PFI companies charge public authorities to make the asset, for example a school, available. These unitary charges, which are agreed at the beginning of the contract, run for the duration of the contract term (typically 25 to 30 years).60 As of 31 March 2024, public sector bodies were due to pay £136 billion in unitary charges up until 2052–53 for ongoing PFI contracts.61