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Public Accounts

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark). He has a consistently rigorous and persistent line of questioning in our Committee, which has proved extremely effective. My hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Sarah McCarthy-Fry) spoke of the need to control risk. Some might say that I flatter the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells simply because he represents my parents-in-law in the beautiful village of Goudhurst. I am not sure what form the risk to me might take if I got on the wrong side of him, but I am sure that it would be substantial. Nevertheless, I assure him that my flattery is sincere. It is a pleasure to serve alongside him. Many Members, notably the hon. Members for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) and for South Norfolk (Mr. Bacon), discussed smart procurement and the need for Government to procure effectively. I assure them that help is at hand in the form of my ten-minute Bill. I hope that I may use this opportunity to advertise it, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It seeks to enshrine in law the requirement for Departments to procure 2.5 per cent. of their research budgets from smaller companies, thereby harnessing the best scientific brains to find new and innovative solutions to public procurement and policy questions. I am sure that that is what we in the PAC aspire to do.