To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates will be paid in this financial year in private finance initiative and public-private partnership unitary charge payments across the public sector. (S6O-04236)

The latest published data shows that the estimated total in PFI and PPP unitary charge payments to be paid across the public sector in Scotland in 2024-25 is £1.12 billion.

When it was in office at Holyrood, Labour built a debt mountain so vast that, 18 years later, public-private partnership payments are still rising, and they will peak at an eye-watering £1.25 billion next financial year. North Ayrshire Council will have to pay more than £16 million next year for four secondary schools that were built nearly two decades ago. By the time the contract is paid off, in 2038, it will have paid £440.1 million for schools that were built for £83 million. Owning those schools will cost even more.

Can the Cabinet secretary say what impact Labour’s disastrous PPP obsession continues to have on our public finances?

Kenny Gibson is quite right to highlight this important issue and its impact on local services. The SNP Government has always made it clear that the PFI approach that Labour used has not delivered best value for the taxpayer. We brought it to an end and introduced more affordable schemes in order to reduce the drain on the public purse and to stop the excessive profits. The SNP Government will continue to do that. As Kenny Gibson made clear, we are still paying for the legacy of those mistakes, as I set out in my first answer.

Regardless of the perceived flaws of past PFI models, does the Cabinet secretary concede that our constituents are broadly agnostic on how major infrastructure projects are funded and delivered, and that, in short, they just want urgent progress on major projects, including the upgrading of roads such as the A1 and the A75 in my South Scotland region? Will the Minister therefore set aside dogma and fully explore new and alternative models to turbocharge Scotland’s flagging infrastructure procurement programme, including by appraising the infrastructure investment partnership model, as was recently recommended by the Future Governance Forum?

I think that all our constituents care about value for money and value to the public purse, and I think that all our constituents would be very concerned about the excessive profits made from previous PFI deals that were poorly constructed and not good value to the public purse. I find it very strange that the Tories, who often talk about value for money and criticise the spending priorities of the Government, seem so easy with the excessive PFI profits when it suits them—[ Interruption .]—and do not seem to share the concerns—[ Interruption .]—that I think the public share with us.

Let us hear the Cabinet secretary.

As I said in my answer to Kenny Gibson, we brought those excessive profits and poor PFI deals to an end, and we introduced more affordable schemes so that we can utilise resources in the best way as we invest in our infrastructure. We can do that while also ensuring value to the public purse—which is, it seems, unlike what the Tories want to do.