Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Skidmore Excerpts

Wednesday 9th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

1 What mechanism he plans to use to review the effectiveness of non-departmental public bodies.

[Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) (Con)]

4. What mechanisms he plans to use to review the effectiveness of non-departmental public bodies.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

9. What mechanisms he plans to use to review the effectiveness of non-departmental public bodies.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Maude]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. It is very good to see him here. He is a close neighbour in Sussex and he makes a very good point. The Government will engage in discussions with local partners, including local authorities and local business organisations, to work out with them in respect of each RDA the best way forward. I suspect that he and I have the same sort of concerns about the way in which SEEDA has operated.

[Chris Skidmore]

While the excellent Frenchay hospital near my constituency was downgraded by the previous Government despite a 50,000-strong petition of local residents opposing the move, it was reported last year that the salaries of NHS quango bosses have increased by up to 77% in the past three years. Does the Minister agree that this Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability will help to reduce that sort of cost to the taxpayer and will help to protect NHS front-line services?

[Mr Maude]

First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on the very vigorous campaign that he has fought and continues to fight in the interests of his constituents to protect the work of the Frenchay hospital. I have visited the hospital and I know what good work it does. He is absolutely right that transparency is the friend of the citizen in exposing what the state spends its money on. It will enable communities, individuals and organisations to exercise and enforce much greater accountability. Money is going to be increasingly scarce in the years ahead, thanks to what we inherited from the Labour party, and it is going to be increasingly important that it is spent where it is needed, at the front line, on patients and on parents whose children are at school.