Appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General

Suffice to say, in my view, Sir John has been quite robust, but I will leave it at that. Of course, he could not get involved in the politics or the policy issue of whether we go down the PFI route. That was not his remit. Sir John and I think that audit should shine light on often neglected areas and his pioneering work on hospital infections, on services to stroke victims and, just last week, on services to people suffering from dementia bear testament to his success. As the Father of the House has just said, audit should be able to prove its value. Sir John has set very stretching targets for the savings derived from the work of the NAO; they should generate £9 for every £1 spent. In those ways, Sir John has made a profound and lasting contribution to public audit and accountability. I pay tribute to him.