Unison and a TV programme are among those who have laid into PFI in recent weeks but contractors and the government have been quick to hit back - they say that PFIs are value for money and they say they can prove it.
PFI still has its knockers. Last week public sector union Unison criticised the procurement policy, and this week it was the turn of TV programme Kenyon Confronts to take a swipe at PFI.

The documentary looked at three PFI hospitals and got building appraisal expert Malcolm Hollis to comment on the designs. Worcester Infirmary was singled out for particular criticism, with Hollis calling the design and layout muddled. Cumberland Infirmary meanwhile was criticised for its overheated operating theatres, high humidity and cramped wards.

Unison's criticisms were not unexpected as the union has a policy of criticising PFI projects at a local level. Its report What is Wrong with PFI in Schools published last week calls for an independent review into the use of PFI for procuring schools. The document also draws attention to an Audit Scotland report that found construction costs to be higher on PFI projects, and said that councils have reduced control over the 25-30 years of the PFI contracts.

Attacks like these last month spurred the government into placing positive PFI stories in the regional press. The initiative followed a meeting between PFI financiers, lawyers and contractors and Treasury spin doctors.

Undoubtedly PFI sticks in the craw of unions because of the amount of profit contractors can generate. The Major Contractors Group admitted last month that its members could earn between three and 10 times as much money on a PFI scheme than a traditional scheme. Bill Tallis, director of the MCG, said that construction firms were getting returns of 7.5% to 15% on PFI contracts as opposed to 1.5 to 2% on traditional contracts.

The MCG says its members are paid for bearing the risk of the job going wrong. Without these rewards chief executive of Mowlem Sir John Gains says that there would be a risk of "bad quality and short-cutting on buildings". The MCG also points out that the Treasury will not agree to schemes that could be done more cheaply by the public sector.

The MCGs claims are also backed by reports from the Confederation of British Industry and the National Audit Office praising some aspects of PFI. In fact the National Audit Office last year found out that schools were more likely to be delivered on time and on budget under PFI.

The PFI's backers are now confident enough to hit back at criticism. This week Tallis attacked Unision and the makers of the BBC documentary. He added that construction was more efficient under PFI because before any work started on site the design work be first completed, so speeding up work on site and leading to less delay.