The message
from Joe contains these words:

You have more faith in the private sector than I do. Privatization of
services such as hospital cleaning has led to a decline in both wages
and standards. The fiasco that is the government computer services is
private enterprise at its worst.

Ah, excellent. I've been trying for years to find someone who can
explain to me why public sector contracts don't seem to have any legal
force.

I'm quite certain that if I contracted with a private company to supply
me with goods or services and they failed to do so, they wouldn't just
walk away with my money. And I don't have an unlimited supply of money
to pay lawyers.

You have the floor...

Sorry but I am not at all sure what you mean. The 2 items above have
very different circumstances and I have no detailed information on
either.

Hospital cleaning has private employers making money by depressing
already low wages and cutting corners. Having outsourced the work
hospitals no longer have the resources to police it properly.

The private employers who provide computer services to the government
seem a more canny bunch with open ended contracts that ensure they are
never out of pocket however many bugs they design into their systems.

It has been said that the reason the Scottish Parliament building went
so ridiculously over budget was because those supposedly in control kept
on changing their minds on what they wanted. Maybe but there is at least
a hint in this (as in just about every military development project) of
a conspiracy between both sides to underestimate the original cost to
avoid the possibility on cancellation prior to commencement on the
grounds of outrageous cost.

--
Roger Chapman