Tuesday 21st July 2015

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

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Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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My hon. Friend is right. As I have said, data are complex and we should not simply read them and make assumptions; they need analysis.

Rob Marris Portrait Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West) (Lab)
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I entirely agree that one should not make assumptions and that the last Government had a better record on transparency of statistics than some previous Governments, albeit the Office for National Statistics repeatedly criticised Ministers in the last Government for misusing statistics. The Minister accuses Opposition Members of scare- mongering and hand-wringing, but how can she know—I do not—unless she already has the statistics?

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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As I have said, the statistics will be published, and the hon. Gentleman can then make his own informed decision.