Speeches by Lamont.

“So are you saying it got significantly worse in that period, or was it an under-reporting by MyCSP?”

“Would those assumptions have been based on information that MyCSP had provided?”

“On the under-reporting of the backlog, I think they estimated the backlog was 37,000, but it might be twice that. Is that part of the remedies? Is the under-reporting of the backlog being pursued with MyCSP as well?”

“Just to be clear on the MyCSP contract, they were not performing in the way that you would expect and remedies were being pursued against them.”

“It was in a state of distress—that was the term that you used—but at no point did that trigger the action that has been taken this year.”

“My questions may be more to Cat Little. I am struggling a bit with the timelines. You said that the service had been in distress “for some time”. How long exactly had it been in distress before immediate action was taken at the start of January?”

“Is that months or years? I just want to get a sense of it.”

“Are there any standards bodies not included in that structure that you think should be?”

“Looking ahead, how would you measure success for the EIC? If you fast forward to 10 years from now, how would you measure its success or failure looking back?”

“The Government have made a commitment to restore confidence in Government and ensure Ministers are held to the highest standards. Beyond the creation of the commission, what else should the Government do to achieve that?”

“You previously took part in informal meetings that the CSPL chaired. It is now much more formal in terms of how these meetings take place, which you have already referred to. Has anything been lost by the move from informal meetings to a more formal structure?”

“Good morning, Baroness Stuart. It is good to see you again. The Government have created the Ethics and Integrity Commission, which has replaced the CSPL. What is your view on this change?”

“The Government’s decision to approve China’s spy embassy is utterly wrong and puts national security at risk. Now that the embassy has been approved, if—or rather when—we get evidence that China is using the embassy for surveillance, torture or other inappropriate means, will the Government guarantee to close that emba…”

“I have heard from literally hundreds of parents and teachers in the Scottish Borders who want social media to be banned for under-16s. We all know that these apps are addictive and are causing serious mental health challenges for our young people. I am now getting messages from parents who have heard what the Secretary…”

“What does that mean?”

“The Minister is being exceptionally generous with her time. The reality is that we will be back here again this time next year, because there will be another petition calling for the same things. What guarantees can the Minister give about the progress that will be made between now and this time next year on the petiti…”

“I pay tribute to my constituent Julie McMillan, who has emailed me with her concerns about fireworks every year for the 19 years that I have been a Member of this place or of the Scottish Parliament. Many other people have raised the same concern. I urge caution about what has happened in Scotland. The Scottish Governm…”

“The Scottish Borders are being inundated with new energy infrastructure projects. SNP Ministers in Edinburgh blame the Labour Government here, and the Labour Government here blame the SNP Government in Scotland—frankly, it has become ridiculous. Ultimately, responsibility rests with the Scottish Government’s planning f…”

“Oh! Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. We do not want digital ID. It will cost billions of pounds and it should be scrapped completely. Despite what the Minister said, I am concerned that digital ID will not be technically compulsory, but people will be blocked from accessing services if they do not have it. In…”

“Frankly, a cost of £62 million for the New Palace Yard project is eye-watering. Most of our constituents will find that outrageous, particularly given that it is not fit for purpose—staff are having to queue for long times when leaving Parliament at the end of the day. What was the original budget for the project, who …”