Oral Answers to Questions

Glyn Davies Excerpts

Wednesday 4th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Gavin Barwell (Croydon Central) (Con)]

7. What assessment he has made of the work of the National Citizen Service.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

8. What assessment he has made of the work of the National Citizen Service.

[Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)]

9. What assessment he has made of the work of the National Citizen Service.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Hurd]

I am delighted that my hon. Friend also had such a good experience with his local NCS. I am delighted to have it confirmed regularly that young people are now recommending it to each other, which, as he knows, is the way that it will grow. We continue to evangelise in schools, but it is fantastic that young people are now talking to each other on Facebook and Twitter and saying, “You should do this.”

[Glyn Davies]

My hon. Friend has told us how successful and popular the scheme has been. What plans does he have to extend the scheme more widely so that it can have an impact in Wales?

[Mr Hurd]

I am delighted to say that we have managed to persuade the Administration in Northern Ireland to adopt a very successful pilot there, which we are delighted with. I am very happy to confirm that we are continuing to talk with the Scottish and Welsh Administrations to try to encourage them to work with us to structure some pilots to make the scheme available to young people across the United Kingdom.

--- Later in debate ---

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude)]

My responsibilities are for the Efficiency and Reform Group on the public sector, civil service issues, industrial relations strategy in the public sector, Government transparency, civil contingencies, civil society and cyber-security.

[Glyn Davies]

Will my right hon. Gentleman give us an update on how he plans to take his very valuable reform forward?

[Mr Maude]

We are making some progress on civil service reform. It was absolutely essential that we published in July our one-year-on report on progress. The head of the civil service, Sir Bob Kerslake, and I were very forthright in saying that progress had not been as fast as we would have hoped, but we are stepping up the pressure and the pace.