Results 1-20 of 2,309 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Oliver Letwin

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: That was an interesting exchange. We would be delighted if the Secretary of State were to make the next phase the universal publication of data on the same basis as occurs in the Total Place pilots. We would regard that as a sizeable step forward, regardless of whether the data did or did not meet ONS standards.

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: Will the Secretary of State give way?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: It was in response to me that the then Minister made several of those remarks in that debate. The impression that he gave was very clear to all present, and it was confirmed in discussions outside the Committee room. It was that there would be detailed reports. There are detailed reports produced by others, which are based on Government information. That Government information has not been...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: rose—

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I will, indeed. Let me give the Secretary of State a very comforting answer, which he could take back to the officials who, to our certain knowledge, have resisted this idea for three years. If he makes a judgment and states the assumption, we are happy. We are happy to have a public debate about whether the assumptions on which allocations are made are reasonable. It does not matter what...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: rose—

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way, as this is now beginning to be a productive debate about the actual subject for discussion. If he looks at the Cumbria publication, he will discover that the population of Cumbria has been treated intelligently. The figures are presented first on the basis that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is included and, secondly, on the basis...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: rose—

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I am grateful; the right hon. Gentleman has been extremely patient and considerate. What he has said throughout could be characterised in this way: he wants to manufacture information that he thinks will be valuable, but what we are arguing—collectively, I think, across the House—is that people as intelligent adults should be able to decide how to use the information in all sorts...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: Does my hon. Friend agree that it is remarkable that in the case of Cumbria, the Local Government Association—presumably in collaboration with the Department—has managed to publish all of the relevant information, non-departmental public body by non-departmental public body and Department by Department? Does she agree that it is therefore likely that this information might already...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: Would it interest my hon. Friend to know that details for all the bodies that she has just listed are published in the case of Cumbria, making it slightly odd that they will not be published for the rest of the country?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way again, and I am glad to tell her that this intervention relates to Dorset, rather than Cumbria. Does she think it as important as I do that the Secretary of State explains how, in the Total Place pilot in Dorset, all Government agencies have been able to reveal their figures—this time, not published—to the other partnership...

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Equitable Life (21 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: Does my hon. Friend agree that it was a signal moment when the Chief Secretary announced, on behalf of the Government, a constitutional doctrine whereby it was not necessary for the Government even to accept the findings of the ombudsman, leaving aside the question of compensation, and drew a distinction between that and a court judgment without ever explaining it?

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Equitable Life (21 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I am grateful to the Chief Secretary for giving way at this early stage, but is it the Government's view that they should decide whether they agree with a judgment handed down by a court? If the Government do not consider that appropriate, is that the right attitude to adopt when an ombudsman makes a decision or recommendation?

Opposition Day — [19th allotted day]: Equitable Life (21 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: I declare an indirect personal interest. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that this goes beyond the argument he is making, in that there is literally no point in having an ombudsman unless Governments make it a principle that they will obey what the ombudsman recommends?

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 6 — Purposes of regional development agencies (13 Oct 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: Does the hon. Lady agree that it is a disgrace that the Government have in effect prevented a serious discussion of the local spending reports? She and I, and other hon. Members from all parties, received an assurance about that from Ministers, but they have utterly failed to fulfil it.

Business of the House (9 Jul 2009) has video

Oliver Letwin: May we have a debate on access for international observers to Gaza, in the light of the apprehension of a boat in Gazan waters recently?

Archer Inquiry (1 Jul 2009)

Oliver Letwin: Does the hon. Lady not agree that what is so extraordinary is that the Government do not appear to want to engage with Lord Archer even at this stage?

Equitable Life (24 Jun 2009)

Oliver Letwin: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that a remarkable feature of the scene is that the ombudsman made it clear that she thought that it was reasonable for the Government to take into account fiscal constraints? She was not even asking for total compensation, but for compensation that was reasonable under the circumstances.

Equitable Life (24 Jun 2009)

Oliver Letwin: I believe that the Government have accepted four of the ombudsman's recommendations, but the gist of what the hon. Gentleman says is right. Does he agree that the position is even worse than he says, because the Government have not only rejected the recommendations, but failed to explain why they rejected them? They have not even treated the ombudsman seriously enough to explain.