People and Business: No PFI input

ALAN MILBURN, the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, made his first keynote speech in the job yesterday after taking over responsibility for the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) from the former paymaster-general, Geoffrey Robinson.

Mr Milburn happily sang a hymn of praise to the Government's commitment to the initiative, standing beside a large projection screen in the QE II Centre in Westminster.

As he ended his address the words "Alan Milburn" faded from the screen, to be replaced by the phrase: "No input received".

Just about spot on for the PFI, I'd say.