The GSD says that the Government has now admitted that the annual rental cost of the new St Mary’s school will be in excess of £1.1 million. The party says that, instead of making full disclosure of the terms of the arrangement the Government has resorted instead in its reply to the “usual mix of insults and smokescreens at a time of public financial crisis.”

Roy Clinton the GSD Shadow Minster for Public Finance stated the following:

“I appreciate that the Minister for Education Mr John Cortes is liable to get hot under the collar when criticized on public finance issues or on anything else for that matter. But he will forgive me for not accepting his criticism given he was the Minister responsible for being £1.3 million over budget on delivering a mere patch of grass. It is my job in opposition to scrutinize the use and misuse of public funds as much as this Government wants to hide behind legal structures and pretend it is not borrowing and spending beyond its means.

“The point Mr Cortes has failed to address is how is this specific school project is value for money to the taxpayer and what alternatives were considered given that the original Bishop Fitzgerald school will be vacant once the College is relocated.

“He has furthermore unashamedly denied the clear potential for a conflict of interest that arises in respect of his ministerial colleagues. Whilst he is not the Minister for Public Finance, and these matters are perhaps beyond his knowledge and financial comprehension, he cannot ignore these glaringly obvious and basic points.

“To keep on pointing to irrelevant historic financing arrangements is nothing but a side-show and cheap attempt at deflection in order to avoid justifiable criticism of this Government’s recklessness with public money. Such infantile tactics are wearing thin on the electorate. What they should be doing is disclosing the full details of the terms of the deal so that the public can judge whether it truly represents value for money and what returns these individuals are making on their investments at our expense.

“As things stand and what we know of the structure of this deal at a time of public finance stress shows the Government is more interested in lining the pockets of private property developers than seeking genuine economic alternatives. ”