CILIP statement on Carillion

Our first thoughts are with everyone whose livelihoods and services have been put at risk as a result of Carillion Plc entering into liquidation. 

There are serious questions to be answered about corporate responsibility & whether Local and National Government continued knowingly to issue contracts for the delivery of vital public services to a failing company. We believe that these should be subject to a public enquiry which results in better regulation of contracted service providers. 

In the medium-term, we have been in contact with the Local Government Association (LGA) who have issued a statement about the situation. We are monitoring the impact on library services, and are pleased to see several Councils announce that they are bringing the running of libraries back ‘in house’. 

In the long-run, the collapse of Carillion highlights the flaw in Government thinking that outsourcing to the private sector delivers either better services or greater efficiency. The current policies of austerity and privatisation are putting statutory services like public libraries at risk. This is why CILIP is actively lobbying for a fair financial settlement for Local Authorities which enables them to meet the current and future needs of local communities and for standards which ensure that people receive the quality of service they have paid for.