Speeches by Baker.

“This was published in March 2023, so some time ago. The most common themes in analysis of the transcribed conversations were comments on governance and decision-making structures widely seen as ineffective in setting and communicating strategic priorities, with a resulting lack of strategic clarity contributing to over…”

“Can you tell us how much was spent? What resources were actually deployed into the establishment of the IDS?”

“That is a huge amount of investment. Just at the end of last month, we heard from the acting director general for economic statistics that the programme was being finished. In terms of all that investment, what have we got out of that at the end of the day, given it was such a flagship priority for the ONS?”

“In effect, what does the decision to close the programme mean in practice for government analysts and external researchers who had hoped to link anonymised datasets to improve policy outcomes?”

“Thank you, Chair. I am often bewildered and confused, but I have some questions that are quite direct around the Integrated Data Service, which is one of the casualties of this process. Can you just remind us what the Integrated Data Service was intended to do when it was first pitched in 2020 with the then Government’…”

“Is the Secure Research Service still being turned off?”

“Will that provide an alternative avenue for some projects so that data analysts who might be waiting for the IDS will now be directed elsewhere instead?”

“The final question is are there any major data programmes that will now not be able to proceed because of the closure of the IDS programme?”

“With increasing incidents of antisocial behaviour and falling police numbers in Scotland, will the Minister assure me that she will share learning from the safer streets initiative with SNP Ministers, as it is rolled out, to encourage them to raise their game on this issue? Will she also join me and Police Scotland in …”

“17. What recent progress her Department has made on tackling antisocial behaviour.”

“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker—persistence pays off. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that he will report regularly to this House on progress against this excellent plan? I hope that will help us to evidence the case for investment in community health facilities in Scotland, which have long been promised but…”

“It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing this important debate. His constituents could not have a more doughty and effective champion in this place. As a fellow Fife MP, I was particularly pleased t…”

“I might say that Labour Members have had rather more impact on Government policy than SNP Members. The hon. Gentleman makes important points about welfare and the importance of having the right system to get people back into work. Why, then, did his Government in Holyrood, of which he aspires to be a member, cut invest…”

“Is it not the reality that economic growth is increasing under this Labour Government, in rather sharp contrast to the experiences of hon. Members under Liz Truss, which I think were somewhat different for the whole country, including Scotland?”

“rose—”

“I declare an interest as a member of Unite. Will my right hon. Friend find an opportunity for the House to recognise the vital work of our elected trade union representatives across the country? In particular, following his funeral last week in Glenrothes, will she join me in paying tribute to John Gillespie, chair of …”

“It is a pleasure to serve under you as Chair, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) for securing this vital debate. I want to stress how important it is for disabled young people that we have careers education that supports social mobility. Nearly half of families with a disabled chil…”

“Decisions on SEND funding in this Parliament directly affect the availability of resources for additional support needs education in Scotland. One of the best experiences of my career was working with the pupils, parents and teachers at the Royal Blind school in Edinburgh when I was at the charity Sight Scotland. There…”

“But if you changed the rules and put it on a statutory footing, I presume that would be a very robust approach. Would that help assuage some concerns expressed by Paul Flynn and Kelvin Hopkins in previous Parliaments, who railed against the whole situation and saw it as a kind of gravy train? Would that not help in ter…”

“In response to the last Committee’s report, you wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister after his response. He obviously had not supported putting ACoBA on a statutory footing and said that to be taken seriously, a non-statutory scheme needs a meaningful sanctions regime, including a financial penalty. We do not have that. …”