Home Secretary Priti Patel said “the permanent secretary did not oppose this agreement, nor assert that it is poor value for money”. Speaking about the agreement with Rwanda, she told the Commons: “In relation to accounting officer advice, contrary to reports in the newspapers, the permanent secretary did not oppose this agreement, nor assert that it is poor value for money. Rather he stated in his role as accounting officer that the policy is regular, proper and feasible, but there is not currently sufficient evidence to demonstrate value for money. “It is the job of ministers to take decisions, and it’s the job of ministers more often than not to take tough decisions in the interests of our country.”