Government Efficiency and Reform

David Nuttall Excerpts

Monday 23rd March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

My right hon. Friend should not assume that this is my swansong. Although it is my last week in the House of Commons, I am answering oral questions on Wednesday and I am looking forward to that—[Interruption.] I am looking forward to engaging with the hon. Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell) on that occasion. It is very nice to see my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury here, as he has been my comrade in arms as we have driven forward these efficiency savings over that period. My right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan) will know that I made a statement, either last week or the week before, about the reform of trade unions within central Government. We have cut the cost of the subsidies to trade unions significantly over that time, bringing into these things a proper sense of proportion.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement and for the work he has done, saving taxpayers billions of pounds. Does he agree that by merging Departments even greater efficiencies and savings could be made?

[Mr Maude]

I understand what my hon. Friend says. The studies that have been done on machinery of government changes do not always indicate that they pay for themselves, but there are undoubtedly ways in which we can organise government to yield—in addition to what we have already done—significant improvements.