Results 1-20 of 3,669 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Edward Leigh

Outlawries Bill: Debate on the Address — [1st Day] (18 Nov 2009)

Edward Leigh: On the subject of Europe, will the Prime Minister tell the House how his campaign to get one of the top jobs in the European Union is going, or is it a case of "nul points"?

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009)

Edward Leigh: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It would be useful if the Secretary of State could make a statement on the fact that the Government appear to have run up the white flag on Lord Waddington's amendment. This is a great victory for free speech, and we should know more about it.

Bill Presented: Clause 61 — Hatred against persons on grounds of sexual orientation (9 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: Is it not interesting that the Minister never actually discussed Lord Waddington's amendment? We all agree that it is wrong to threaten or stir up hatred, but Lord Waddington's amendment said simply: "For the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself...

Bill Presented: Clause 61 — Hatred against persons on grounds of sexual orientation (9 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: Let there be no mistake: people who stir up violence and hatred against homosexuals are completely wrong. But there is nothing in the Waddington amendment that does that. All the Waddington amendment allows is a "discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct". Lord Waddington is not trying to stir up hatred. He just...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 40 — Remuneration package of the Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I am fairly relaxed about amendment 57. The CAG publishes details already of all his expenses and allowances. The commission had a discussion about the pay. It is true that traditionally the CAG has received the same salary as a High Court judge. We did not think that that was appropriate any more, because that is fixed and, in order to get a very high-calibre candidate, it might be necessary...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 38 — Status of the Comptroller and Auditor General etc (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: Perhaps I can explain how the National Audit Office will work as a corporate entity. As such, it will be constituted as a board comprising five non-executive members, including its chair, and four executive members, including the Comptroller and Auditor General, who will also be its chief executive. The board's role, in essence, will be to develop a strategy for the office as a whole, not a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: The Bill is primarily about the governance of the National Audit Office; it is not about audit rights. We in the Public Accounts Commission thought it wise for the Bill to concentrate on the governance, as that is set in concrete and is permanent, whereas audit rights can change over time. Indeed, only last week the Government announced that the NAO was for the first time to be allowed to...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: Let us be practical about this. We worked as a team. I was sitting there with Nick Macpherson, the permanent secretary to the Treasury, with Andrew Likierman and with Tim Burr. Although the decision was ultimately mine, I would not have insisted on proposing somebody who was unacceptable to the permanent Secretary to the Treasury. What would have been the point of that? I do not think that I...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I should have made that clear; it is a very important point. In other words, it is virtually impossible to get rid of him. That is absolutely right. I was saying that the previous appointment was anachronistic and that no one spotted at the time Sir John Bourn was appointed that even though the civil service retirement age was 60, he could basically go on. I had a very good relationship with...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I hope that I am not giving away any confidences by saying that Amyas Morse told me this week that it can be a very lonely job—and, as I have described it, a very important one—and he welcomes the advice of the chairman of the board, Sir Andrew Likierman. The Comptroller and Auditor General can go to him in confidence at any time and ask for his support and advice. However, the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: As I understand it, morale in the National Audit Office is now very high. It went through a sticky patch—there is no point denying it—and there was bad publicity, much of it unfair, but that is now past us. Morale is high and people feel that the structure is fair and open, that people are appointed entirely on ability, and that their career is judged by a number of people sitting...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I have taken advice on this. The Comptroller and Auditor General has statutory access to contractors for the purposes of examining the public body concerned, but the National Audit Office does not think it would be appropriate for him to have access to suppliers' commercial records further than is needed to audit public bodies. I think that we only need to secure access to the part of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I rise to speak in favour of clause 37, which covers the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and to oppose amendments 68 and 78, and new clause 41. A number of provisions already protect the independence of the post holder, including the appointment process, the length of tenure and the terms of the appointment. Let me start with some context, so that we can understand the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: The chairman's role was simply to advise. He is a very distinguished gentleman—he is the dean of the London Business School, and he was head of the Government resources office in the Treasury—and he simply gave me advice. Obviously, I am not going to reveal who was on the shortlist or what happened in the discussions, but I can say that, ultimately, the decision was mine and no...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: It was the same process. I am grateful to the Father of the House for his generous offer to surrender his right to appoint the chairman of the National Audit Office, along with the Prime Minister; that was what was originally proposed. We immediately spotted the problem that he has just alluded to—namely, that that would effectively mean that the Government party would appoint the...

Economic Recovery: Public Accounts (22 Oct 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: With the leave of the House, perhaps I could say a few words of thanks to the Minister for her kind personal words and for her tribute to the Committee, on which she served. I also thank those who have taken part in the debate. There have not been a huge quantity of Members present, but we have made up in quality what we lacked in quantity. All their comments were interesting. I shall not...

Economic Recovery: Public Accounts (22 Oct 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: In the light of my maxim that no taxpayer pound should be a source of easy profit, has my hon. Friend conducted any research into how much profit has gone to the private companies involved, and how much they have sucked out of the Exchequer so far?

Economic Recovery: Public Accounts (22 Oct 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: I beg to move, That this House takes note of the 1st to the 6th, the 8th to the 11th, the 13th to the 23rd and the 31st Reports of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2008-09, and of the Treasury Minutes on these Reports (Cm 7568, 7622 and 7636). It gives me great pleasure to move this motion, which stands in my name and that of other honourable members of the Public Accounts...

Economic Recovery: Public Accounts (22 Oct 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: We have found that the Department has been consistently optimistic. We wish it well, of course, but given the sums involved—£12 billion—this is very worrying. I will not list any more examples. Within the terms of the debate, other Members may refer to more of them if they wish to do so. We might get one more chance before the end of this Parliament to have a debate, but we...

Oral Answers to Questions — Defence: Mentoring (13 Jul 2009) has video

Edward Leigh: What assessment he has made of the outcomes to date of trials of the mentoring scheme for vulnerable service personnel during basic training.