Lord Purvis of Tweed
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Ministers: Legal Costs
Lord Purvis of Tweed Excerpts(8 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)
The statement the Secretary of State made this morning was full and clear. I have a great deal of respect for the Secretary of State. The action she took in the aftermath of 7 October was very understandable. We have now moved forward and resolved this. We should be caring about how we improve science and technology in this country.
Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)
The Secretary of State told the Select Committee that she is now clear that she should have sent the letter privately. Was she advised by her officials working at that time of night that it would be appropriate to send part of it on X? If she was not then she was acting with her own personal judgment on the issue, so why is the taxpayer having to pay for that error?
Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)
I have explained the circumstances about why the taxpayer gets involved in legal expenses. I note the noble Lord’s point.