Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Iain Stewart

Wednesday 11th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

Not off the top of my head, but I will write to the hon. Lady and let her know.

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

May I invite my right hon. Friend to visit Matrix SCM at Milton Keynes and see how it is helping local authorities to save an average of 17% on public procurement contracts, increase the number of small and medium-sized enterprises winning those contracts, and speed up the payments process?

[Mr Maude]

I shall be happy to do that. I know how much support my hon. Friend must have given the company in his constituency. We have opened up procurement, which was being run in a way that, in many cases, froze out SMEs and prevented them from doing work for councils and the Government, but, although we have made some progress, we still have much more to do.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Iain Stewart

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

The requirements of a coalition Government mean that there is more requirement for special advisers. Their cost is still only 2% of the cost of the senior civil service.

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

T2. What outcomes does my right hon. Friend hope to see from the Open Government Partnership summit being held in London tomorrow?

[Mr Maude]

We are looking forward to welcoming to London the representatives of 62 Governments who have chosen to belong to this unique partnership both between Governments and with civil society organisations. Transparency is an idea whose time has come, and we will celebrate the progression of the open data and transparency agenda over these two days.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and Iain Stewart

Wednesday 21st March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

I am completely confident that the members of the West Lothian commission will read the hon. Gentleman’s remarks with great interest.

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

T4. Will my right hon. Friend tell the House when the plans to refurbish No. 70 Whitehall were approved?

[Mr Maude]

Those plans were approved in 2008, when the current Leader of the Opposition was Minister for the Cabinet Office. It is therefore surprising that the shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office chose recently to mount an unprovoked attack on the decision made by his party leader.