Speeches by Edwards.

“I have a lot of experience in this area and probably a lot of engagement with your international counterparts. Picking up on the WhatsApp/text issue specifically, are there other jurisdictions where that is captured in Government transparency data, and would you consider that international best practice?”

“One of the deficiencies of the current system that has been touched on in the past is the lack of a mandatory code of conduct for lobbying. What is your view on whether there should be one?”

“Thank you. Once you have that knowledge and relationship with the consultant lobbying sector, how do you propose to balance the need to remain close to it with the independence and objectivity that is required by the role?”

“The lobbying Act precludes those with direct experience of consultant lobbying from holding the role. How do you propose to overcome your lack of knowledge of the sector that you will be overseeing?”

“Are there any other areas where you feel that you need to develop your knowledge or skills to perform the role effectively?”

“The Committee heard criticism that you focused funds and resources on transformation programmes—some of which were described as a bit unrealistic—at the expense of the UK’s core economic data. How do you respond?”

“We have obviously heard a lot about leadership style and priorities throughout this inquiry. Could you briefly describe what you hoped to achieve in your time as National Statistician?”

“Would you say, then, that the Government constrained your ability to prioritise the things that you wanted to focus on?”

“Do you think that the Government were asking you to do too much with the resources that they allocated to the ONS?”

“T4. Last Friday, I visited Demelza children’s hospice, which does amazing work for children and their families, but it needs certainty and sustainable funding to survive. Will the Chancellor consider extending the children’s hospice grant for the next five years, increasing it in line with inflation, to help it to plan…”

“You have talked a little bit about the distinction between what are and are not the most important Government policies. Do you have criteria for how you determine that?”

“Do you not think that you have set out a bit of an argument for how the House’s expectations have changed as well and that there is perhaps a case for recommending that the Ministerial Code be revisited?”

“I take your point, and it is helpful to understand that the Government are listening and learning as we go through this process. I appreciate that these can be quite difficult judgments that you need to make collectively, but reflecting on your time in the role so far, are there any decisions about which, on reflection…”

“You have talked a lot about the trade-offs that you have to make with the Ministerial Code, and you have particularly spoken about developments in social media and how the pace of things has increased. Given the conversation that we have been having this morning, would you consider making a recommendation to the Prime …”

“If you had a lot of major Government policy being announced and some of it, unfortunately, due to those trade-offs and timetable pressures, needed to come through a written ministerial statement, would you still consider that the Ministerial Code had been met?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward, and I thank the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mike Martin) for securing this really important debate. We all know that too many children are being failed by a system that is under-resourced and facing unprecedented demand. Policy failures over many years ha…”

“You have previously expressed concerns about the way in which the Cabinet Office fails to appoint non-executive directors. Am I right in thinking that there has not been a risk and assurance NED on the board since May 2024?”

“So you have only had an introductory meeting with the current Minister. How regularly do you anticipate meeting that Minister?”

“So there is a properly recruited chair for that risk and audit committee; it was somebody who was interim and then you have made them permanent.”

“More broadly, what impact do you think some vacancies have had in terms of the oversight of the ONS and the other parts of the organisation?”