Points of Order
Debate between Andrew Miller and Baroness Primarolo
Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
I thank the hon. Lady for adding that to the record.
Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, the Government chief scientist, Sir Mark Walport, spoke to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in which he referred to the principles of scientific advice to Government, which applies to Ministers and Government Departments, all members of scientific advisory committees and councils and so on. The advice specifically says:
“Scientific advice to Government should be made publicly available unless there are overriding reasons, such as national security or the facilitation of a crime, for not doing so.”
In light of the earlier comments, Madam Deputy Speaker, would you use your good offices to bring this to the attention of the Treasury Benches?
Madam Deputy Speaker
May I say to the hon. Gentleman that he has been very effective himself in drawing the matter to the notice of the Treasury Benches? It is not a point of order for the Chair, but possibly a matter for a fascinating discussion on the Floor of the House on how to implement the advice, which is also not in the gift of the Chair. We should therefore now move on.
Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill
Debate between Andrew Miller and Baroness Primarolo(12 years, 1 month ago)
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
Order. You cannot have an intervention on an intervention. I would wait until Andrew Miller is back on his feet if I were you.
Andrew Miller
I was wondering where we were getting to with that point. I listened carefully to the Minister and I welcome that assurance. This is a question of language and whether there needs to be a stop-gap for circumstances where the port is not in public ownership. For publicly owned ports the line of accountability is through the ballot box.
Forensic Science Service
Debate between Andrew Miller and Baroness Primarolo(12 years, 9 months ago)
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Madam Deputy Speaker (Dawn Primarolo)
Order. Before the hon. Gentleman continues, I remind all Members that when making an intervention or speaking in the Chamber they must face the Chair and not turn their back to it, because otherwise it is very difficult not only for me, but for other Members to hear their contribution and pick up clearly the point from the microphones.
Andrew Miller
My hon. Friend makes a fair point, and I will demonstrate later that when we saw the next set of FSS accounts, the supposed £2 million a month loss had shrunk by a remarkable degree.
The FSS provided forensic services to police forces across England and Wales and to other agencies, such as the Crown Prosecution Service. It held about a 60% share of the market when the closure decision was made. We were told that the decision was based on commercial and legal grounds. The FSS had been struggling for many years, and it had gone through a series of status changes over the previous two decades, eventually becoming Government-owned.