Contributions
1,275 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLeaving the EU: National Audit OfficeIf you will forgive me, Mr Speaker, having served for 18 years as Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission and the Committee—I am standing down now—I want to take this…06 Feb 2020HANSARDNAO: Overseas WorkThe NAO is a leading, supreme audit institution in the international community and works closely with other offices. It believes that it can grow and learn as an audit office by…06 Feb 2020HANSARDLeaving the EU: National Audit OfficeAbsolutely. I am sure the Comptroller and Auditor General, who is completely independent in what inquiries he undertakes, will certainly want to do a report on the value for money…06 Feb 2020HANSARDLeaving the EU: National Audit OfficeThat is a very good question. Clearly, the NAO, which is not concerned with policy matters but with economy and efficiency, will have its focus laser-like on how we can ensure,…06 Feb 2020HANSARD Persecution of ChristiansThat is a very positive suggestion. Perhaps we should take some money away from the Governments who are not doing enough and give it directly to people on the ground. We could…06 Feb 2020HANSARD Agriculture BillThis weekend, I was approached by a young farmer who wants to succeed his grandfather as a tenant farmer. His landlord is the Church Commissioners—not so much a Christian…03 Feb 2020HANSARD Global BritainWill the Foreign Secretary assure the House in clear, explicit terms that under no circumstances will there be any role for the European Court of Justice, that there will be no…03 Feb 2020HANSARDEconomy and JobsOf course they need good public services, and we are a party of good public services, but we do not believe that the only way of improving public services is by increasing…20 Jan 2020HANSARDEconomy and JobsAnd 30% of all tax receipts come from the top 1% of earners.20 Jan 2020HANSARDEconomy and JobsI remember that the Liberal party in its heyday was a party of free trade and liberalism, so I hope this intervention will be part of that.20 Jan 2020HANSARDEconomy and JobsI assure the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) that no Government Member wants to degrade the rights or the dignity of working people—quite the opposite. We are not…20 Jan 2020HANSARDEconomy and JobsFor what it is worth, I agree with everything the hon. Gentleman says. Amazon is taking us for fools based on what it is doing to our high streets and on how little tax it pays.…20 Jan 2020HANSARD Business of the HouseCan we have a debate on rail connectivity with the north of England? My hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers) and I have been campaigning for years for a through…09 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillI notice that today, the President of the European Commission is reported as saying that it will be virtually impossible to conclude a trade deal within a year. Given that we…09 Jan 2020HANSARDElection of SpeakerWhat an honour it is to stand for this job. Like all those standing, I love this place and I only wish to serve it. I think that it is pretty good training to be Speaker to have…04 Nov 2019HANSARDHS2: National Audit Office Progress ReviewOf course the NAO will not get involved in the political argument about whether the programme is wise, but it has already reported three times on HS2. It found that the cost and…31 Oct 2019HANSARDHS2: National Audit Office Progress ReviewBefore I answer that question, Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for your friendship over the years. I do not always agree with you, but in this place, John, friendship is…31 Oct 2019HANSARD Civil PartnershipI pay tribute to my hon. Friend. I have been campaigning on this for many years. I was approached by two sisters at the time of the passing of the original Civil Partnership Act…31 Oct 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: National Audit OfficeThe NAO wants to get the Brexit work done as quickly and efficiently as possible and has been working with all Departments to assess the potential impact on their financial…31 Oct 2019HANSARDLeaving the EU: National Audit OfficeBrexit is, of course, a major task for Departments. Since 2016, the NAO has published 26 reports on aspects of Brexit. Most recently it has published reports on the UK’s border…31 Oct 2019