Speeches by Davies.

“Who was delivering accommodation. We have heard about the prime contracts, we have heard about the subcontracting relationships—we have heard about the whole spaghetti of provision. In terms of the viewpoint from the Home Office, did you know who was providing the accommodation up and down the country?”

“You would anticipate those to be repaid to the taxpayer this financial year?”

“I appreciate that. Mr Ridley?”

“Now that you are in the thick of operationalising this contract, for good or for ill, do you think it is the most efficient way—given the multilayers of profit, accountability and assurances required, and the trust and confidence the Home Office needs to have in its primes—to make sure the prime is holding the subcontr…”

“Thank you, Minister. With the second review, will that take into consideration the period of time that the first review also was commissioned?”

“Mr Ridley, when did you become aware that the profit share clauses in these contracts were activated?”

“When did you become aware that the providers owed the British taxpayer a refund on profit sharing?”

“Would you accept that with the prime contractor model, effectively the Home Office is blind in terms of what is happening at a local level because of the reliance those prime contractors would have on subcontractors, and you would not necessarily know as a Minister?”

“I am surprised by your answer, but if you could write to us about the proportion, that would be helpful.”

“Correct.”

“Are the people doing the second review the same people who did the first review, in terms of organisation?”

“Let us try to unpack that slightly, Minister. I do not want to put words into your mouth, so please correct me if I am wrong—”

“Away from the knockabout of Westminster politics, I and people in Telford welcome this change. The principle of means-testing was right, but the level was too low. Does my hon. Friend agree that millionaires, MPs who happen to be of pensionable age and those who are living abroad should not receive this payment?”

“I have one final question. This is clearly a huge issue for the electorate—for constituencies. Is it not time now for a radical solution around the application of the European convention on human rights, and whether we really need to look differently at the interpretation of that convention or to disapply ourselves fro…”

“I absolutely appreciate that, Home Secretary, but we had providers in front of us who said that they have literally put tens of millions of pounds aside and they have not paid it over to the Home Office, because the Home Office have not asked yet.”

“On the provider question, the National Audit Office briefed us on its report, and we also heard from the providers themselves that they have put tens of millions of pounds aside to pay back the Home Office from excess profits. Why on earth has the Home Office not taken that money back and used it for the priorities of …”

“That is what I am particularly concerned about; I will take that offline. On the broader question, I expect I know what your answer will be, but I will ask it anyway. Do you think that we should look at how other countries organise the difference between illegal migration, which sits with the equivalent of the Home Off…”

“One is detailed and the other is more about principle. I declare my interest as chair of the APPG for events. Does a 28-day visa that allows workers and visitors into the country for business fit into your definition of controlled and managed migration?”

“Thank you, Home Secretary. I have two quick questions—”

“We have millions of job vacancies currently and we have millions of people unemployed or economically inactive. What happens if British businesses say to you as the Home Secretary, “We simply cannot get the workforce from Britain. There is a temporary arrangement. That’s coming to an end, and we simply can’t do it”? Wi…”