Speeches by Lamont.

“So it has not given up; the funding was taken away from it by management.”

“Is what you are effectively saying that it has been taken off it and there has been a decision at the top of the organisation to defund the human resources department?”

“I want to go back to something that has been discussed a little already: your human resources capacity within ONS. To the outside world, do you think it is fit for purpose?”

“Do you acknowledge that the previous process failed?”

“T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.”

“I am grateful to the Secretary of State for her response. Thousands of children across the UK have been abused by grooming gangs, yet charities still warn of victim blaming by police and those in authority. We should be clear that the problem is not children; it is those who prey on them. What are the Government doing …”

“9. What steps her Department is taking to support victims of grooming gangs through the court system.”

“Under the SNP, the number of suspected criminals in Scotland being let off with a slap on the wrist has increased by 28% in a year, according to the latest data. Now the Labour Government here seem to want to copy the SNP. Why will the Labour Government not put victims first, instead of doing what they are doing now—le…”

“Senior Scottish advocate Sandra Brown has said that grooming gangs could be operating in every town and city in Scotland. This scandal affects the whole of the United Kingdom, so when will the Government extend the grooming gangs inquiry to Scotland? Surely all victims across all parts of the United Kingdom deserve jus…”

“14. Whether she has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the national inquiry into grooming gangs.”

“I am grateful to the hon. Member for that answer. Everyone should have the potential to work in Parliament, not just those who live in and around London, so can he confirm how many apprentices have been recruited since the introduction of the UK Parliament’s apprenticeship scheme, and in particular how many were recrui…”

“1. What steps the Commission is taking to increase the number of apprentices in the House of Commons.”

“Can we have a debate to recognise volunteers and fundraisers who support the work of hospices and help people living with cancer? I recently met the team at the Lavender Touch in Galashiels who have been supporting people across the Scottish Borders for over 20 years, funding and providing therapeutic treatment to brin…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on her report and her wonderful statement, as well as on all the work that has gone into the report behind the scenes. Public service broadcasters are struggling to compete with the massive budgets set by streamers, so what more can be done to ensure we see high-quality British drama and c…”

“That was the example I used, but there are other examples that could easily be pulled out.”

“Good morning to the witnesses. I suspect my question is temporarily taking this discussion on a slightly different angle. Sir Robert, you are chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Does the authority have a consistent approach in all parts of the UK in terms of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?”

“Are you therefore confident that the data is being collected on a consistent basis across all parts of the UK?”

“That is my point. When I was trying to compare the levels of child poverty in Liverpool to Dundee, for example, that became an almost impossible task because of the lack of availability of data from Scotland. Do you agree that that is a problem?”

“But surely it should not be a matter of what suits the policymakers and the decision makers. You rightly make the point that we have devolved Parliaments in this nation, but we are still part of the United Kingdom. When it comes to assessing how different parts of the United Kingdom are performing, surely we need a con…”

“Just to go back to where I started, surely you would agree it is wrong that as a UK Member of Parliament I cannot get data that allows me to compare levels of child poverty between Liverpool and Dundee?”