Former Labour MP for Cambridge
Will my right hon. Friend comment on a headline in a newsletter that has been widely circulated in my constituency, which reads, "Fees for school sixth forms planned for Blair's 3rd term"? Is there any foundation at all for such a headline?
Does my hon. Friend agree that much more public consultation in the case of the Hutton inquiry, for example, would have been useful? There was a great deal of controversy about the way in which it was set up and the narrowness of its remit. I am sure that there was private consultation between the Lord Chancellor and Lord Hutton, but would not it have been better to have had the public...
My hon. Friend makes two points. The flavour of the amendment is permissive, in that it says “may” rather than “shall” or “must”. It would therefore be up to the Government of the day to decide whether to follow the rules suggested. It is perfectly possible that they would have good reasons, including urgency, for not following them. In their evidence to the Select Committee, the...
I must confess to being disappointed that my hon. Friend is not prepared to accept this reasonable amendment. Setting out the proposed framework in the Bill would provide for a Minister to take different action if that was considered necessary at the time. It would also provide a good practice framework under which inquiries could be conducted. I completely take my hon. Friend’s point that...
I beg to move amendment No. 37, in clause 42, page 21, line 20, at end insert— ‘(1A)Rules under subsection (1) (a) may make provision for— (a)consultation on the terms of reference; (b)estimated costs at the commencement of an inquiry; (c)estimated duration at the commencement of an inquiry.’. It is pleasure to be sitting on a Committee under your chairmanship, Mr. Gale. I am...
I am not. The Select Committee discussed consultation on the terms of reference at some length, and some years ago the Salmon commission said that the terms of reference should be drawn as precisely as possible. In the course of taking evidence, we found that negotiation appeared to take place between the Lord Chancellor and the chairman of an inquiry. Lord Falconer told the Committee that if...
In answer to an earlier question, I should like to reassure the Committee that I am not a lawyer—in fact, I am a statistician, if that makes any difference. I return to the argument about ministerial conduct and misconduct, because there are differences between those things. Ministerial conduct, which relates to personal misconduct by a Minister, should rightly be investigated under the...
The Select Committee was clear that ministerial misconduct should be investigated by the ombudsman, not by a parliamentary inquiry. By using the words “public importance”, the Select Committee intended to refer to the direction and continuance of Government policy. Returning to my main objections, about which I spoke on Second Reading, the clause gives the Minister discretion on whether...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of opportunities for research and consulting disseminated by his Department resulted in (a) research reports and (b) physical deliverables in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether details of the late Lance Corporal Atkinson who was court-martialled for false imprisonment appear on the police database.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for charging for 16 to 19 further education courses.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if she will make a statement on reducing the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in Cambridge; (2) what the reasons are for the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in Cambridge; and if she will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether she expects fees for courses above Level 2 for adults to rise in Cambridge in 2005–06; (2) whether her Department will fully fund courses for adults at Level 3 in Cambridge in 2005–06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ensure that fee concessions remain in place for those aged over 60 years who wish to study at a further education college in Cambridge.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the change since 1997 in (a) capital expenditure and (b) staffing levels has been for each primary and secondary school in Cambridge constituency.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce rate relief for small businesses.
