Cross-Government Cost Cutting

Debate between Baroness Penn and Lord Butler of Brockwell

Tuesday 6th December 2022 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

The noble Lord will know that we have increased the budgets in the health service, but that does not reduce the need to look for efficiencies. I pay tribute to the work of Dame Kate Bingham in delivering the results from the vaccine task force. We are now living in a different world from the one in which she did her work. I am sure we will look to learn the lessons from her work and take it forward in the most appropriate way.

[Lord Butler of Brockwell (CB)]

My Lords, in following up the question from the noble Lord, Lord Young of Cookham, could the Minister also carry out an audit of the number of special advisers?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

I do not believe that it is within my responsibilities to carry out an audit of special advisers, but I will take the noble Lord’s point back to the department. I should probably declare an interest as a former special adviser myself; I would not be best placed to undertake such work.