Speeches by Lamont.

“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?”

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

“Would you describe it as being robust in terms of how you appoint people? Does the appointment process within ONS meet the standards that any other external organisation would expect its human resources department to be running at, for example, in terms of following due process?”

“Ms Rourke, in response to one of my questions last week, you suggested that there was a redeployment of resources away from areas such as health, population and UK-wide data. Who exactly makes that decision about the redeployment of resources?”

“So you have no concerns about any of the recruitment process. In terms of the disciplinary processes that are in place and those individuals within the organisation who are perhaps not meeting the standard that you would expect, are you confident that it is meeting that standard that the outside world might expect from…”

“Something that alarmed me greatly earlier in this session was that you made reference three or four times to pockets of good practice within the organisation. Does that suggest that the majority of those within the organisation are not meeting that standard of good practice?”

“My last question is do you think the ONS is recoverable? Is it an organisation that is failing to such a serious extent that we should just scrap it and start fresh, start again?”

“The Devereux review criticised ONS’s budget and planning decisions. How can we be sure that ONS is making sensible decisions when it comes to budget planning?”

“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…”

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

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

“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 …”

“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 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…”

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

“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…”

“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…”

“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?”

“In terms of the last census we had, there was a separate census in Scotland which was delayed due to covid, so that presented challenges. Can you reassure me that the next census will be done on a UK-wide basis, and there will be no opt outs of any of the devolved nations?”