Speeches by Gilbert.

“Once all this information lands in the workplace—you have done the review, you have your directors, and they have looked at their team and say, “We need these people”—are you in a position to go back to the Minister and say, “We can’t make any of these rational cuts, although we understand the process. We have looked a…”

“I have more of a fundamental question. When we started this conversation and Sam Rushworth asked you about the rationale, you said that the number of staff had inflated by 28% over the 10-year period. If the cuts to the budget had not happened, would the restructuring of the Department still have happened? Is it financ…”

“Will those be shared, the details of the analysis of the impact assessments?”

“On how it will work across all departments, in terms of the staff and people’s expertise—what will the impacts be across each of the staff, with their skills and backgrounds as individuals, and in terms of specialist areas and how the departments will function?”

“My understanding is that there has not been a comprehensive impact assessment beyond the equalities consideration. What plans do each of you have to expand that analysis?”

“Obviously, if we are looking at mainstreaming it, it is very important that we keep that knowledge and expertise in the Department.”

“Coming back to the skills that we were speaking about just a moment ago, without knowing what that restructuring is going to look like, how can you map out what skills are going to be required on an ongoing basis? How can you do that in a way that is fair and transparent to the team that you have, when you do not know …”

“What assessments have been conducted of the restructuring’s impact on lost expertise, particularly in the mainstreaming of the rights of women and girls?”

“Okay.”

“We are approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence as I rise to present this petition. I am very pleased that I am not alone in this place in calling for reform of pornography legislation, as we have seen an explosion in the availability of increasingly graphic pornography—content that …”

“The changes that the report proposes to the law suggest that the active period ceases at the point of the verdict or guilty plea. Why were those thresholds taken, rather than continuing until sentence has been handed down?”

“I think that the appeals process is due to be covered in part 2 of the Law Commission’s report. Do you think that the threshold for contempt should be lower on appeals, given that the risk to them is lower, as they are often based on a point of law rather than on the facts, and they are heard before more senior members…”

“The changes that the report proposes to the law suggest that the active period ceases at the point of the verdict or guilty plea. Why were those thresholds taken, rather than continuing until sentence has been handed down?”

“I think that the appeals process is due to be covered in part 2 of the Law Commission’s report. Do you think that the threshold for contempt should be lower on appeals, given that the risk to them is lower, as they are often based on a point of law rather than on the facts, and they are heard before more senior members…”

“I want to turn to the UK-Nigeria strategic partnership. How could that be developed further and strengthened? Mary, you have referenced women, peace and security, and Evelyn gave some ideas around WASH, but, in addition to that, how do you think we could help?”

“Andrew, is there anything you want to add?”

“Arjun, I hope you can hear us now. You were talking about funding and the instability of that—we got half of that answer. Would you give us the rest?”

“How secure is the funding to your organisation and to other UN bodies in Nigeria and the wider region for the coming years?”

“This is a question for Arjun. Could you briefly summarise the UNHCR’s work across Nigeria?”

“Andrew, is there anything you want to add?”