Speeches by Osborne.

“I went to the Oxfordshire event today and tried some of the wine, which is of outstanding quality from an established producer of 50 years; long may that success continue. The hon. Member is correct that we have award-winning sparkling wines, and across Europe we are now seen as a choice region for many champagne produ…”

“Indeed, different ways of distributing wine have been established in this country by Tetra Pak and others. There are innovations that we need to consider and there are lessons to be learned from other European nations. Demand is rising in whatever form. Sales of domestic wine increased by 10% in 2023, with sparkling wi…”

“Is there one specifically for your area of—”

“You have mentioned a whole-systems approach today. I think quite a lot of the answers I am getting are Home Office-specific, so I just want to probe you on the whole-systems approach that you mentioned. Are these savings based on a whole-systems approach, or are they savings that they have been identified just from the…”

“I would like to see your evidence base for that, because what I understand from the Home Affairs Committee report is the complete opposite—that large-scale sites are much more expensive than hotels.”

“Moving on to transformation programmes, in 2.30, it indicates that major transformation programmes have been delayed and that there are reactive fixes—also highlighted in the Home Affairs Committee report. Do you have a programme grid for change and deliverables to reform technology and transform processes within your …”

“You have stated there that hotels are cheaper than large-scale sites.”

“My questions will be on the cost savings promised in the spending review, and then I will dig into the detail beneath that. The spending review announced £1 billion savings per year up to 2028-29. A footnote to table 5.8 of the comprehensive spending review says that the “Asylum support cost forecasts contain some inhe…”

“You mentioned a board. I cannot see any reference to a board here; this is something that is not in the Report. Could we have some detail about who is a member of that board? Could you submit that to us as evidence, perhaps? I appreciate that it might be new, since the NAO Report, but could you give us some clarity on …”

“Lastly, I asked that question because, in paragraph 25 of the Home Affairs Committee’s report on the management of asylum, it has done a cost equivalence that compares hotel costs with medium and large-scale accommodation, which has indicated that it is more expensive to be housing individuals in medium and large-scale…”

“I have three further small points. One of the areas where we will see success is clearing the asylum backlog. Figure 6 in the Report indicates that you have a 35% attrition rate in staff. Can you provide us with detail on the total headcount within the Department over the last five years, and also the attrition rate? M…”

“Lastly, you referenced earlier in an answer to Paul, that an external review of contracts and asylum was taking place. I am interested to know with whom, when that will be published, and whether we can see it in the public domain. Obviously, I am reading that the Home Affairs Committee report on asylum accommodation: p…”

“The Report says at paragraph 1.12 that there is no cross-Government budget, and at paragraph 2.5 that no one accepts responsibility for governance. Would you accept that because you are the one making the savings, it is a Home Office responsibility to co-ordinate this whole-systems approach?”

“Okay, but the NAO Report said that major transformation programmes are delayed. Interestingly, perhaps that board needs to be held more accountable.”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. I thank those who have led the debate in our communities, including my hon. Friends the Members for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Kevin McKenna) and for Brent East (Dawn Butler), and the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith)…”

“My question is on the modern service framework is slightly changed, because this Report was commissioned in October and since its commissioning the Minister, Stephen Kinnock, has delivered the framework in November. However, given all the issues that you have just raised and that are in this Report, does the Minister’s…”

“I am conscious of time, but I will summarise some of the cases that I have seen. Prospect hospice in Swindon, Birmingham hospice in Birmingham and St Giles hospice in Lichfield are all individual cases that have announced redundancies in the last 18 months and have closed in-patient beds. Those are just three examples …”

“Lastly, as a follow-up, do you accept that the number of beds is reducing in certain parts of the country? Given that the Report indicates that there will be increasing demand, as Paulette highlighted earlier, right now it is going in the wrong direction: we are seeing redundancies, bed closures and reductions in the n…”

“My point to you, sir, is that if they are making redundancies and reducing bed numbers, that suggests to me that there is financial distress within those organisations, because they are having to go through those processes, including redundancies. Obviously, if they were expanding headcount, that would be because they …”

“Okay. I appreciate that clarity, because part of this Report shows really clearly—I think Paulette mentioned this earlier— that, in my view, there is a glaring red light about finances. It is not only about financial sustainability; we are in a financial distress moment now. Quite a lot of hospices are closing beds dow…”