... and Croydon already had concerns.Their reaction to Carillion closing down was to immediately bring it in house.https://wp.croydon.gov.uk/news/croydon-takes-libraries-back-house-protects-staff-jobs-carillion-collapse/Some quotes from that:Councillor Timothy Godfrey, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said: "The council has been considering its options over the past few months after it became clear that Carillion was running into difficulties. We are determined to protect and boost our libraries for residents now and for generations to come."Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council, said: "The libraries were outsourced by the previous administration, which was something that we didn’t support. I am pleased that we’ve been able to take prompt action to secure the library service and the jobs of library staff. In the year we bid to become London Borough of Culture it is important to ensure libraries are at the heart of all our communities."Article in Guardian says:"The situation in Harrow and Ealing is complicated by a termination fee negotiated with Carillion: each council would have to pay the firm £485,000 and £639,000 respectively for ending the 10-year contract before 2023. As of Wednesday, both councils continue to recommend that library services remain outsourced. According to their last estimates, it would cost Harrow council £12.7m over five years to run the borough’s six branches and home and school library services in-house, compared with £10.5m if outsourced. Ealing estimates it would cost £5.9m a year to bring its 13 libraries in-house, but £2.05m if outsourced.But in a Tuesday night cabinet meeting, Ealing proposed to hand extra authority to Keith Townsend, the council’s executive director of environment and customer services, allowing him to transfer or terminate the contract in the event Carillion suddenly withdraws from its libraries. A council spokesperson said it had "robust contingency plans" in place, adding: "Ealing’s libraries continue to operate as normal and we will work closely with the official receiver and any potential new contractors in order to secure the most efficient and high quality library services in to the future."... and later a comment from Ealing"Both Ealing and Harrow councils reported that they expected to avoid the hefty termination fee because of Carillion’s financial circumstances."https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/17/london-libraries-assess-impact-of-carillion-collapse
Paul Webster ● 2937d