Contributions
582 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)The right hon. Gentleman asks me a question that I may be able to answer in a moment, depending on a number of factors. As for the thrust of his question, Ofcom is ultimately a…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)The reality is that the relationship between Government Departments and regulators is very often incredibly close, but independence is an important part of regulation. Although…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)How to choose?26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)I give way to the hon. Lady.26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)I would say that there is a sensible place to put some of that information, which is the communication to the ISC that I have offered, and there is a sensible place to put other…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. I hope that now that I have given those various reassurances, hon. Members are appropriately comforted. Everyone is waiting for…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)We can discuss the optimal sizes of quangos and Departments outside this room. However, the right hon. Gentleman is obviously right that Government Departments and regulators need…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)As the hon. Lady said, we have addressed various issues relating to the new clause in previous debates. It is important to stress that Ofcom has the resources that it needs. She…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)It is important to say that we have amended section 3 of the Communications Act 2003, to which the hon. Lady alluded, so that Ofcom must have regard to the desirability of…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)The hon. Lady is right, but as of 31 December 2020, section 3(4) states: “OFCOM must also have regard, in performing those duties, to such of the following as appear to them to be…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)I think an organisation of 937 people can cope with 13 priorities. On one level, however the hon. Lady makes a reasonable point, and it is not one that we disagree with. Security…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)Earlier, the right hon. Gentleman was suggesting that it was the memorandum of understanding that he would like to see amended. Now he seems to be suggesting that we should insert…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)That may well be the case, but the right hon. Gentleman is not going to win it here—that is the important point to make. It is right not to try to address this issue in the new…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)The hon. Lady raised an important issue. Fundamentally, however, the issue of diversification is twofold. The Government want to see greater diversification within our telecoms…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Eighth sitting)Further to that point of order, Mr McCabe. What fun we have had! It is a pleasure to come to this point in the Bill’s passage. I echo the hon. Lady’s thanks to the House staff and…26 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Sixth sitting)I apologise in advance, having said that we should crack on, for detaining the Committee for a few minutes on this group of amendments. They relate to clauses 3 and 4, which deal…21 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Sixth sitting)It is good to reach this landmark point. I do not propose to go over all the ground we have covered, because we have already covered a large chunk of this in discussing the…21 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Sixth sitting)I think this would be impossible to identify without carrying out some kind of audit. There is a danger of a semantic argument, but I understand the point the hon. Lady is making.…21 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Sixth sitting)The sort of horizon scanning that the hon. Lady describes is core to all essential regulation, and the relationship that Ofcom has with those whom it regulates promotes the…21 Jan 2021HANSARDTelecommunications (Security) Bill (Sixth sitting)The regulation that I cited is an example of the Government not relying on assumptions. It is an example of us publishing, in advance, exactly the sort of material that…21 Jan 2021