Contributions
1,459 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)Further to that point of order, Mr Hanson. I echo the thanks of the shadow Minister to all who have served on the Committee this afternoon. It has certainly been an interesting…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I could not have put it better myself. We heard passionate speeches about ensuring that this is a Parliament for all; not only for Members with particular needs, but for those who…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I have listened, with interest, to the hon. Gentleman’s points. I will certainly be happy to hear more on this point and perhaps I will reflect on the issue, and have some…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I thank you for your comments, Mr Hanson. As I say, that is where we are regarding that area. I fully appreciate the spirit of the amendment and what it is driving at. There will…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I thank the hon. Lady for her comments and laying that out. As she rightly says, it would not be for the Government to direct the work of the Public Accounts Committee; that is…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)As I am referring to the Committee, I will let its Chair intervene.04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)To be clear, at the bottom of page 21, at line 40, the measure states: “The Comptroller and Auditor General must…examine, certify and report on the statement of accounts”—…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)As always, I will be guided by the sage advice on procedure that you provide, Mr Hanson. There is a view that making an amendment that gives additional powers and functions to the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)Certainly. I will briefly finish referring to the issues around the Comptroller and Auditor General, and then, with the Chair’s permission, I will perhaps make some brief…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I welcome the spirit of the speech and the hon. Lady’s approach. From my perspective, we believe the Comptroller and Auditor General has a range of powers over this, and it is…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)When the Bill was drafted, automatic transfer was considered, but there were concerns about whether it could be implemented in practice. There were also thoughts about the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)It is safe to say that the Government fully support the project and will facilitate the will of the House to take it forward, hence the introduction of the Bill and the role…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I am grateful for the chance to respond to these two amendments. The first deals with the balance between the two Houses. It could be possible to have an additional member, if…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (Second sitting)I thank my right hon. Friend for sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of how this place works. Although I understand the thrust of the amendments, they would create the unusual…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I thank the right hon. Gentleman for prompting me back to his query; the contribution from the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield was a welcome one to read,…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)Obviously, whipping arrangements are for each party. Again, I make the point that this project is being fundamentally driven by Parliament, for Parliament. The Government are…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I thank my right hon. Friend for his suggestion. Given that it is constructive, I would be quite happy to offer to do that. We could look at this, perhaps on Report, if an…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)We would be happy to take this away and look at how we can provide further reassurance to Members. The intention is that the Delivery Authority will look for work across the…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)While I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, I do not agree. I have every confidence that the Sponsor Body will look for good value, and that will mean contracting with…04 Jun 2019HANSARDParliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill (First sitting)I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. We have outlined the position and, as I said, although we are not prepared to accept the amendment today, I am happy to have further…04 Jun 2019