I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way, because he is presenting us with the benefit of his considerable commercial acumen and experience. Am I not right in recollecting that somewhat over 99 per cent. of businesses employ fewer than 100 people, that those businesses account for...

I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way, because he is presenting us with the benefit of his considerable commercial acumen and experience. Am I not right in recollecting that somewhat over 99 per cent. of businesses employ fewer than 100 people, that those businesses account for...

The hon. Gentleman seemed to be perilously close to suggesting that some statistics currently collected and collated by the Government are not worthy of the process. I hope that is not his position, but he needs to clarify that statement. On the assumption that he does not believe that the...

The hon. Gentleman seemed to be perilously close to suggesting that some statistics currently collected and collated by the Government are not worthy of the process. I hope that is not his position, but he needs to clarify that statement. On the assumption that he does not believe that the...

The Financial Secretary has stated explicitly that the statistics board will be independent of the Government and accountable instead to Parliament. That sounds like a good idea, but we need to be sure that that represents something more than just an abstract constitutional doctrine and that it will have meaningful...

The Financial Secretary has stated explicitly that the statistics board will be independent of the Government and accountable instead to Parliament. That sounds like a good idea, but we need to be sure that that represents something more than just an abstract constitutional doctrine and that it will have meaningful...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for generously giving way again. Given that the Bill purports to be about—and might prove in substantial measure to be about—independence, why is it that under clause 11 the Government judge that they should in effect be the exclusive arbiter, or ““appropriate authority””, in deciding...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for generously giving way again. Given that the Bill purports to be about—and might prove in substantial measure to be about—independence, why is it that under clause 11 the Government judge that they should in effect be the exclusive arbiter, or ““appropriate authority””, in deciding...

Supplementary business question on allocation of Short money in relation to concordat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Supplementary business question on allocation of Short money in relation to concordat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.