Assessing value for money on local authority housing projects depends on the type of work being undertaken.
This was the view of Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne, in response to a Keys question from Onchan MHK Peter Karran.
Mr Karran wanted to know what steps were taken to ensure housing authorities got best value when refurbishment programmes were undertaken on their housing.
In the case of more minor projects, generally funded from the local authority’s own revenue budget, Mr Gawne said local authorities had to take responsibility themselves for balancing the requirements of cost, quality and value for money.
‘It is the authority which sources the labour and specifies the standards and finishes required,’ he said.
For higher value work, like re-roofing, this was funded usually from borrowing and this required the authority to go through a petitions process conforming to guidelines set out in legislation. The work would also be done in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure.
‘This ensures the work receives the same level of scrutiny as any government capital project,’ he said.