Speeches by Carling.

“Has there been much progress in making the same apply to Ministers in terms of having some sort of deed of undertaking?”

“As in when civil servants are coming in, if they are in particularly relevant areas, having something in their initial contracts?”

“That is really helpful. Does ACoBA play any role in ensuring the rules are applied properly for those grades that you are not directly responsible for?”

“That is a really useful point you have raised. Just to move on slightly, the previous Government committed to developing new contracts for civil servants that would incorporate restrictions on future employment at an earlier stage. Do you know if much progress had been made on that by the time you stepped down in March…”

“Actually my first question was going to be exactly on that point of whether there is an issue with the grades that are below ACoBA level, which you have very much just covered. My substitute first question is, what is giving rise to your concerns in terms of the different Departments? Is there a particular area you thi…”

“It was essentially where you think the major issues are within the Department. First, is there consistency across them? Are there capacity issues? Is it just that it is not getting the attention it needs? What is giving rise to your concerns?”

“Are we tracking that in any way?”

“Thank you. Just one final question if I may, which is to do with enforceability. Do you think the kind of measures you have just outlined are helpful in terms of ensuring the rules are adhered to, or is there something else we need to do to make them more legally enforceable?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I want to focus on import standards, which the hon. Member for Waveney Valley (Adrian Ramsay) began to talk about. Farmers in my constituency of North West Cambridgeshire play by the rules and abide by the regulations. For example, since 1999 they have stop…”

“To encourage more people to pursue a career in our armed forces, we need to ensure that the whole offer is strong, including accommodation. Concerns have been raised with me about poor performance by managing agents involved in maintaining Ministry of Defence properties in my constituency, often with complex subcontrac…”

“20. What steps he is taking to support jobs in the defence sector.”

“T3. According to Sense, there are over 2,500 people with complex needs in North West Cambridgeshire, many of whom will never be able to work because of their conditions. Does the Minister agree that dignity for severely disabled people needs to be a priority for the welfare system, and can he update the House on progre…”

“Listening to residents in North West Cambridgeshire on the doorstep and at local coffee mornings, there is a clear message: people want local police to have the time and resources to get to know crime in their areas and to tackle it at the root. I know our Labour mayoral candidate is committed to that if she is elected…”

“Very much a fair answer, I guess. What would you set out to achieve in your first year in the role?”

“Following on from that, the same survey suggested that there is some dissatisfaction with pay and career development opportunities. In February this year, over 200 employees held a one-day strike, so there has been industrial action recently as well. How would you work to prevent further industrial action from happenin…”

“The 2023 PHSO staff survey demonstrated that 35% of staff do not think that change is managed very well at the organisation. It has been quite an uncertain time at the top of the PHSO, as we know. Do you have any thoughts on how you could work to increase stability at the PHSO if you are appointed as the ombudsman?”

“We mentioned governance, and I was really interested to hear the discussion around data use. I appreciate that this might be quite a detailed question, so do not worry if you are unable to answer it, but do you think the current governance arrangements at the PHSO are appropriate? If not, do you have in mind any partic…”

“That is really useful to hear. How should we measure success in that?”

“Thank you very much for coming in. It is very good of you. The role has a seven-year term in the first instance. Would you serve the full term if appointed?”

“indicated assent.”