Contributions
1,153 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGovernment Departments and Agencies: Fraud and ErrorMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw attention to the scale of the problem. The truth is that, according to the latest figures, the amount that has been recovered is…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsOn this, perhaps the simplest thing is for my hon. Friend to write to me, so that I can get her question considered by the proper Minister.25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe great danger is preparing perfectly for the last war. The real challenge in resilience is looking around the corner for things that have not already happened. As we respond to…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsAll lessons should be learned about the procurement pressures at that time, including the lesson that my hon. Friend mentioned.25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe intend to set up a council of nations and regions. The hon. Member is right to say that we need to improve relations. That is easier said than done because such organisations…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe are getting on with our first steps, including on healthcare, which is a top priority for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We want to…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsIf the right hon. Member set aside spending for his commitments, he did something pretty rare for the last Government. When we look under the bonnet, we find that that was not…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsI welcome the right hon. Member to his position. I mean that genuinely: it is not easy to step up and serve in opposition after an election defeat, so I welcome what he and his…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsI assure the hon. Member that we take value for money seriously; it has been a theme of today’s questions. The Government supported businesses during covid—necessarily and…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy Department has begun its work on helping the Government to deliver on our manifesto, and we are focused on the first steps and missions that we spoke about during the election…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsThat is because responsibility for veterans is being transferred to the Ministry of Defence, which is a better home for it. Looking after our veterans will be a big priority in…25 Jul 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe will do everything we can to collect the greatest amount of tax possible—that is right. We are interested in value for money and, given the legacy that we have inherited, I…25 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryMy hon. Friend talks about failures of state, and that is the essential finding in Baroness Hallett’s report: there were failures of state. He also mentions ideology; I tried in…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryI thank my hon. Friend for her question. Again, I echo her comments on the memorial wall. Following the election, we have a lot of new Members in the House; if any of them find…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryThe points that my hon. Friend makes about local government are well made. As I have said, my experience in my local authority area was that I thought the local council stepped…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryI echo my hon. Friend’s tribute to the work of the NHS staff in his constituency. RAAC in public buildings is part of the Government’s inheritance. Just because the problem has…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryOne of the things that Baroness Hallett advises in her report is that every three years there is a proper exercise to test any plan and see whether it is fit for purpose. That is…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryI thank the hon. Member for her questions and the spirit in which she asked them. The truth is that it is easy for any of us to say, “Lessons must be learned,” and whenever…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to pay tribute to the staff at St Thomas’ and other NHS staff across the country, who did so much to care for people during that very difficult…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his response and for the tone in which he spoke. He set out what the previous Government have done, and in my statement I acknowledged that…19 Jul 2024