WIREDGOV

A debate over the privatisation of our public services is long overdue, the PCS says as government auditors look at the issue.

Commenting on a National Audit Office report published yesterday about the role of major contractors, the union says the public has been denied a say in whether companies should be allowed to profit from providing services.

The report identifies several key issues that the union believes have rarely been discussed, including:

• The need for better public scrutiny of company accounts and practices, and transparency about levels of profit-making
• Whether outsourcing public services actually provides value for money, as claimed
• Large companies dominating and eliminating the competition that was supposed to drive down costs

The report, which focuses on Atos, Capita, G4S and Serco, draws on information provided by the companies which the NAO says "would not otherwise be in the public domain".