Speeches by Caliskan.

“I take this opportunity to mark an important week for our armed forces. I welcome everything my hon. Friend says about support for our armed forces and their families by way of investment in their homes and more money in their pockets. Does he agree that supporting our armed forces goes way beyond just the equipment th…”

“Barking community hospital in my constituency has been providing antenatal services to mothers in Barking for many years, and women also use its services to give birth. I was therefore really disappointed when I heard last week that the maternity birthing unit is likely to close. Many in my community are deeply concern…”

“Does that mean in the next few months? I am just trying to get a sense of when the new framework will be used for financial decision making.”

“So the next stage is for the Treasury to sign off the framework, or—”

“There seems to be a clear timeline or, at least, process going forward, but I want to press a bit more. In 2022, it was first identified that the framework was not adequate. I think the Treasury said it was non-compliant. As of now, it is still not updated, so that has been the case for quite a lengthy period of time. …”

“Thank you. I am going to move on to some questions about the MOD’s role as a funder for RFCAs. A few years ago, the MOD asked the Treasury to review the financial framework between the Army and the council. In 2022, the review raised concerns about the framework’s compliance with Treasury rules. The NAO Report details …”

“So it is absolutely not about actively coercing cadets, but making sure that there is the available information for those who are seeking out pathways. David Williams indicated assent.”

“That is very clear in all the reports. The MOD, the cadets and the reserves are very clear about that, but a large proportion of the Army has come through the cadets, and I cannot help but think that it is a really powerful way to show young people a meaningful and inspiring career path. Do you think that there has bee…”

“I am going to ask some questions on the MOD’s role as a funder, but let me first build on Chris’s points about the efforts to get more cadets recruited. I absolutely agree with the point about devolution, but on a smaller scale too, the picture can look very different even from local authority to local authority. If yo…”

“Sometimes there is a tension between the desire to professionalise an organisation and the need, at the same time, to reach out to non-traditional communities to recruit. To what extent has the challenge of that potential tension been considered?”

“General Overton and General Gordon, can you comment a bit more on how the MOD can use the RFCAs to invigorate its relationship with the strategic reserve, as recommended by the strategic defence review? The Committee has previously heard representation from witnesses on the need for flexibility, and armed forces that a…”

“Thank you to the panel members. The major general has already referenced the Ukrainian war. For context, before I get into my question, which builds on the Chair’s question, in 2023 the Defence Command Paper stated: “The War in Ukraine has reminded the world that Reserves are essential both on and off the battlefield.”…”

“Why has it grown? If you were doing investigations and they were taking 27 months, why is it now taking 40 months?”

“I have constituents in Barking who are living in properties and paying housing charges that go to a company owned by individuals living in offshore tax havens. They are getting ripped off through these charges, so they really want HMRC to go after individuals who should be paying their fair share of tax, which is why i…”

“I want to be clear about that.”

“Where I would not want you to end up is not opening cases at all.”

“I just want to be clear, and I am not making a value statement here. It does not concern you, as an organisation, that almost half of the compliance investigations close in no yield. That is because, for instance, it might be that you have investigated and there is no reason. I am just trying to get a sense of whether …”

“I am sorry to interrupt, because I am really keen to hear your response to that, but does it not concern you that almost half of the compliance cases close with no yield? From what you have said, John-Paul, I would suggest that you are saying, “That does not matter, as long as we are getting high yield”.”

“We have already spoken a bit about wealthy compliance cases, but I would like to just come back to it. The report also talks about the process for being able to deal with those cases, which, by their very nature, are complicated. Cases may take a lot longer because of due process and lengthy correspondence with the tax…”

“That is really helpful. I want to ask about the length of time, but is there something that you wanted to come in with before then, Lloyd?”