Speeches by Powell.

“Are they effectively internal audits without any validation?”

“You were coming on to the newly announced local audit office. What would you like to see that office do?”

“Coming to ringfencing, I will ask these questions together to avoid everyone just agreeing that ringfencing is bad. What ringfencing would you get rid of and what would you keep?”

“The Government have their missions, and previous witnesses have talked about a shift to more of an outcomes approach. How do you think that could work?”

“How many staff do you have to employ to manage it?”

“One example we have heard about is the prevention of homelessness versus addressing homelessness. Obviously, you do not want to underfund prevention; you have a statutory duty to look after people. It is an interesting example. Owen, do you have any reflections on that?”

“One hundred and thirty?”

“Moving on then to local audits, which you just referenced, what are the lessons learned from Woking and others around local audit and how would you like to see local audit improved so it contributes to a healthy financial system?”

“Are there any strings you would keep?”

“I am Joe Powell, the MP for Kensington and Bayswater.”

“Just a follow-up question on your comment that to solve these problems it is not just local authorities alone. We have just done a report on children in temporary accommodation, and unsurprisingly, one recommendation is more council and social housing. Have you done any assessment of the impact of taking capital for EF…”

“What is the number now?”

“Do you have any way of estimating how much could be lost to fraud, inefficiency and waste from this situation?”

“I thank the Minister for meeting me to discuss the directly managed branch on Kensington high street in my constituency of Kensington and Bayswater. More than 1,000 residents joined my campaign to save the services at the branch. Today’s news is welcome for them, but can the Minister give us some reassurance on when th…”

“The power of bearing witness, as my hon. Friends were attempting to do, was shown at its most extreme in recent days by the paramedic Refat Radwan, who filmed the recent attack on 15 aid workers by the IDF before losing his own life. Does the Minister agree that in this case there must be accountability and not a cover…”

“More than half my constituency casework consists of substandard repairs, poor quality communications from social landlords, and damp and mould. That is why this week I am launching a new safe and healthy homes campaign in Kensington and Bayswater. Will the Minister outline how the Government will work with councils and…”

“3. What steps her Department is taking to reduce gambling harms.”

“I recently met the family of Luke, a devoted husband and father of two and a passionate Leicester City fan. Luke developed a gambling addiction in 2018, and although he self-excluded and repaid debts with his wife’s support, he relapsed during the pandemic and tragically took his own life in 2021, with the inquest find…”

“I am Joe Powell, MP for Kensington and Bayswater.”

“Before I start, I put on the record my thanks for all the Minister’s engagement with me and the community. I want to go into remediation in a bit more detail. I am sure you will have read the Public Accounts Committee report, which says there are still “unacceptable levels of uncertainty and lack of action in resolving…”