Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 1 December 2020.
Well, Llywydd, the Member, as I would have expected, really, has simply failed to understand that what the mutual investment model delivers for the Dowlais to Hirwaun stretch is a fixed-price contract. So, the risks are carried by the private sector contractor—they have to deliver this road on budget and on time, otherwise there are very significant penalties that lie with them and not with the public purse. That is one of the advantages of having devised the model in the way that we have, because it does provide the public with that guarantee that the amount of money that has been agreed with the company is the amount of money that will be paid, and if further costs are incurred, the risks rest with the private contractor and not with the public purse.