Speeches by Roome.

“How many transient people with those skills do you think will come into Barrow, in addition to the existing population?”

“I notice that you identified better healthcare provision as one of your high-level aims, at a time when services are being reduced at Furness general hospital. How do you prioritise to get cross-Government liaison working so that you work as one team within central Government, as well as within local government?”

“As a former council leader, I know the excitement that comes from the Government saying that they are going to invest in a town you are presiding over and thinking that you are going to get all this money, and it is going to create great opportunities. How did you determine as a board what your first priorities were go…”

“Would you explain a bit more about how you manage those demands for funding? Have you found that the funding has been there when you want it?”

“Angela, one thing about the local authority: it is closest to the people, with councillors being the first level of local government, dealing with their communities, and the portfolio holders. I do not know whether you use the executive or the committee model, but whatever model you use, those portfolio holders for eac…”

“Taking it back a level, can you describe to the Committee what Team Barrow is and who forms that partnership? Also, what are your eye-level aims and objectives for Team Barrow?”

“In rural areas like my constituency, private renting is very expensive and is unaffordable to many. What is the Minister doing to ensure that more housing is available at social rent rather than market rent, which people can simply not afford?”

“Right. Given the importance of what AUKUS aims to deliver, one of the messages we picked up, particularly from people in Australia, was that we should have your post extended due to your knowledge and because it is good to have someone with that drive within the United Kingdom. They were impressed by your appointment, …”

“Sophie Gaston, in her written evidence to the Committee, was concerned about the Defence Secretary standing in for the Prime Minister, and saying basically that the Prime Minister should be involved all the time, because of the particular leadership that AUKUS needs to bring everyone together. What is your experience o…”

“To go back to the main governance structure, the FCDO, DESNZ and MoD are involved. The MoD tells us that it put in place more robust and centralised governance arrangements for AUKUS following your review. Is there now an understanding across Whitehall that AUKUS should be seen as a national endeavour, rather than as a…”

“For the record, Sir Stephen, when is your appointment due to finish?”

“What effect do you think governance has in defence industry manufacturing regarding the lack of agreement, particularly on pillar 2 and what those areas should be?”

“Are you confident of sufficient drive and determination at the highest levels of Government to deliver both pillars 1 and 2 of AUKUS?”

“Have you any concerns about trilateral governance?”

“I concur with you there. Some of the people I helped to resettle were high court judges and a chief of police. They had high-powered jobs in Afghanistan. I find it difficult, because the MoD have placed them on military camps and some of these military camps are out in the sticks. I have got 12 families on a military c…”

“I think we are coming on to this later on, so I do not want to pinch anybody else’s questions. In your view, could it have been handled a lot better?”

“What sort of messages were you getting from the Afghans when they learned that the super-injunction had been lifted?”

“I think I know what your answer will be to the next question, which is: how could the Government have handled this better?”

“I join my colleagues in saying thank you for giving evidence today; it is really appreciated. I will ask about the impact of the lifting of the super-injunction. On 4 July, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, wrote to the courts to request that the super-injunction be lifted and on 15 July it was lifted, following a de…”

“I was involved with resettling 12 interpreters from Afghanistan on the ARAP scheme. What are your views on the resettlement process? Do you keep in touch with people when they are over in the UK, and how are you finding their experiences?”