Tuesday 21st July 2015

(9 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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I cannot be clearer than the Prime Minister, who last week set out the position very clearly. The data—[Interruption.] Would Labour Members like to listen to my response before they start chuntering away? I will restate what I said in my initial response: the data will be published and are being prepared for publication as we speak.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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If the hon. Lady will let me respond, I will tell the House exactly that.

--- Later in debate ---
Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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The position on data publication has not changed. The data are being finalised and will be published shortly. They will be published very soon, and no later than the autumn.

I say to Labour Members chuntering away and shaking their heads that Labour had 13 years to publish the data and failed to do so. Is it any coincidence that they are now showing some interest in this area?

Dawn Butler Portrait Dawn Butler
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indicated dissent.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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I say to the hon. Member for Brent Central (Dawn Butler) that we were the first Government to publish ad hoc statistics in this very area. [Interruption.] Labour Members are shaking their heads because they do not like the fact that we have published data previously.

Dawn Butler Portrait Dawn Butler
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Misleading.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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I say to the hon. Lady chuntering away that I am not misleading the House. I am informing the House that data publication will happen. I restate for the benefit of all Members that the data will be published no later than the autumn. We were the first Government to publish ad hoc statistics in this area, and I think this is quite audacious of the Labour party, given that it never published any such information when in government.