Contributions
920 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCivil Service: Skills and TrainingAs we set out in the declaration on Government reform last month, we are deeply committed to investing in training across the whole civil service, as we have to do better at…08 Jul 2021HANSARDPublic Bodies: Transparency in Service DeliveryThank you, Mr Speaker. I appreciate your comments on language in this House. I am afraid I disagree with the hon. Member’s characterisation of this Government. As the Chancellor…08 Jul 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI am afraid that I do not know in relation to the private meetings that Dominic Cummings had when he was in Government, but I know that he has set out concerns about our response…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsUrgent questions are appearing like buses for me this week. I am grateful for the chance to address the House about the Government’s use of emergency covid contracts. I have…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsThe hon. Gentleman is right to highlight how fantastically the devolved Administrations have worked with central Government on some of the critical issues that have faced us…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI am enjoying your zest today, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman raised with me the importance of onshore manufacturing capacity in Westminster Hall last week. I have asked for a…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI set out the reasons for the court case and what the judgment actually said, rather than what the hon. Gentleman is implying that it said. It was in relation to some procedural…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out the importance of what business achieved with the Government in relation to the pandemic. Some fantastic commercial expertise has…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. As I have already said in this Chamber, tremendous work has been done with every corner of the UK and every devolved Administration, whether…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI thank my hon. Friend for his question about the Loch Ness monster, whose existence I can neither confirm nor deny. He is right to highlight the fantastic ways in which our Union…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsIn relation to the challenges we faced in trying to transparently publish all the contracts, I have set out some of the reasons for them. It was partly because a team of 450…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI thank the hon. Lady for her concerns, and I wish to assure her that a link to the Conservative party was not one of the criteria that needed to be fulfilled when those PPE…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsMy hon. Friend is quite right to set out some of the challenges we faced at the height of the pandemic. When it comes to procuring PPE, for instance, we were competing with every…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI thank the hon. Lady for her question. There was no money used on political campaigning.29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI thank my hon. Friend for his question. I believe that the Opposition asked us to strain every sinew at the time of the pandemic, and that is what we did.29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsYes, I believe that the Public Accounts Committee will be updated on the second Boardman report in July. With regard to the first Boardman report on communications contracts, we…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI thank my right hon. Friend for his question, and I do agree. As I set out, there are a number of assurances the public should take from the way in which contracts are managed…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsThere was a proper demonstration of the will of the Scottish people when they had their referendum on Scottish independence and made their views clear. Interestingly, Scottish…29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsAs I have set out on numerous occasions this afternoon, that was not political campaigning; it was important work that was being undertaken as part of our response to the pandemic.29 Jun 2021HANSARDEmergency Covid ContractsI assure my hon. Friend that I am not auditioning for that position; the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has not been kidnapped. He is in Scotland, as part of our efforts to…29 Jun 2021