Oral Answers to Questions

Deidre Brock Excerpts
Monday 22nd April 2024

(8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Let me help: it is an easy one for you to answer. Now let us move on.

Deidre Brock Portrait Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)
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I thank the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare), for his reply to my letter of 21 March. He said that a short paper on the topic of the Union was prepared by officials and presented to the UK Government in July 2020. However, a media report at the time suggested that an employee of Hanbury Strategy had provided data and helped to prepare that paper for the Cabinet. Was public money used for the insights that Hanbury Strategy prepared for that paper, and when will the public get to see them?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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Once again, I have to admire the sheer chutzpah of Scottish National party Members talking about the misappropriation of cash. However, as I mentioned earlier, the Scottish Government’s budget has led to the closure of 25 tourist information centres and a variety of other ventures that are trying to get investment into Scotland, whereas the UK Government are providing investment in Scotland—proving once again that we are better together.