Contributions
2,684 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of course it is the case that there will always be turnover in the civil service. The normal length of tenure for someone in a permanent…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for reminding me of what happened in 2016, when the people of this country voted to leave the European Union. I am afraid that he has edited…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI should say that we never had a National Security Adviser under a Labour Government. Some of us might think that we were well or poorly governed at that time, but it seems to me…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the speech to which some hon. Members referred earlier, I made the point that we needed to disperse decision making in the civil service,…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI am sorry if I failed to provide the clarity required, but I am sure that for all Select Committees, including the very important ISC, David Frost will make himself and his…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI know that the hon. Lady was a very successful teacher before she came to this place, so I am grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to resit the exam, and I hope that I…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend is spot on. Whether they are in Newcastle, County Durham or Teesside, we need to make sure that the many talented young people in the north-east regard public…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI am glad that the hon. Lady says that the UK’s civil service is world-class. That is one of the reasons that I hope that Scotland will continue to benefit from its expertise and…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend, who was a distinguished Foreign Office and International Development Minister, raises an important point. This is an area outside my immediate responsibility, but…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI quite agree with my hon. Friend. One of the surprising things about the tone taken by some Members on the Opposition Benches is the idea that someone who has dedicated their…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI gently remind the hon. Gentleman that the role of National Security Adviser did not exist before 2010; it was created by David Cameron as Prime Minister. The hon. Gentleman is…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right: it is important that someone in that role commands the confidence of the Prime Minister and is capable of working effectively with him. I…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI should think that it is precisely because David Frost is involved in complex and serious negotiations about security and defence co-operation with our European allies that he is…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsMy hon. Friend, who has served in government as a political appointee, knows absolutely whereof he speaks. As I say, I find it somewhat curious that Opposition Members who have…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsIt is precisely because we do want a good deal that negotiations are being intensified. That decision was taken by the Prime Minister and by the Presidents of the European…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsThat is a very thoughtful set of questions from a very successful previous Minister in the Foreign Office. It is right that the integrated review should look at how diplomacy,…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsYes, absolutely. If advice comes from the agencies, then that advice will always go, absolutely direct, to the Prime Minister and to the relevant politician. The record of…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsI congratulate my right hon. Friend on displaying the stamina to read all of the speech. It would have been a shorter speech had I had the time to edit it appropriately. His point…30 Jun 2020HANSARDProcurement UpdateI previously provided a written statement on 29 April 2020 in relation to indemnities granted for IP infringement, in respect of the designs, and against product liability claims…22 Jun 2020HANSARDContingencies Fund AdvanceThe Cabinet Office has sought a repayable cash advance from the Contingencies Fund of £270,100,000. The requirement has arisen due to increased costs relating to urgent…17 Jun 2020