Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that local authorities are sending out postal ballots for the elections to the European Parliament to eligible UK voters in EU countries in sufficient time for (a) voters to return the postal ballots and (b) for those ballots to be counted.
Answered by Kevin Foster
It remains the Government’s intention to leave the EU with a deal and not participate in European Parliamentary elections.
In preparation for the delivery of elections, Returning Officers, who are statutorily independent, will work to deliver the polls, including through following guidance issued by the Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission’s guidance advises Returning Officers to prioritise postal ballot packs that are to be sent overseas in order to allow as much time as possible for the ballot pack to reach the elector and to be completed and returned. The Government has agreed to fund International Business Response Licences for the return of postal votes from overseas and has met with Royal Mail and British Forces Post Office to ensure there is effective planning in place for the dispatch and return of postal votes from overseas including those for service voters based overseas.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what analysis did the Chancellor of the Exchequer used for the statement that it is unlikely, at a technical level, whether there would be enough time to legislate for a confirmatory referendum on the EU Withdrawal Agreement before the UK leaves the EU reported in the Guardian on 12 April 2019.
Answered by David Lidington
The Government has no plans to hold another referendum on EU membership. The Government remains committed to delivering on the result of the 2016 EU referendum by leaving the EU.
An Act of Parliament is required before any UK-wide referendum can be held, the terms of which are for Parliament to debate and agree, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question as well as incorporating adequate time to prepare for the poll and a minimum campaigning period.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5th February to Question 213879 on Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit, what the cost to the public purse has been of the Government’s Prepare for EU Exit public information campaign.
Answered by David Lidington
The Cabinet Office is leading and coordinating the cross-departmental Prepare for EU Exit public information campaign to help fulfil the Government’s duty to inform citizens and businesses about how leaving the EU might affect them, and to advise them on the steps they may need to take to prepare. In the coming weeks and months, we plan to use a range of paid-for and no-cost channels to direct citizens and businesses to a dedicated area on GOV.UK at Gov.uk/euexit.
On 8 January 2019, we launched a series of three radio adverts - to citizens, businesses and travellers - across UK-wide commercial stations, encouraging listeners to visit the website.
The Cabinet Office has undertaken to publish information relating to ongoing expenditure on the public information campaign as part of the department’s monthly data transparency releases. The latest release is available at (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data)
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January to Question 205794 on Cabinet Office: Brexit, when his Department plans to publish the data transparency releases referred to in that answer.
Answered by David Lidington
All spending over £25000 is published in line with current guidnace on a monthly basis on GOV.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what cost his Department has incurred to the public purse by providing public information on the potential effects of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government has a duty to inform citizens and businesses about how leaving the EU might affect them and to advise on the steps they may need to take to prepare for EU Exit. We have developed a cross-departmental public information campaign to help achieve this.
Over the coming weeks, we will be using a range of channels to direct UK citizens, businesses, EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU to a dedicated area on GOV.UK at Gov.uk/euexit. Information on the costs associated with this campaign will be released in due course as part of normal data transparency releases.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November to Question 190850, and with reference to the Written Statement of 22 November 2018, HCWS 1100 with its accompanying response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report, whether the Government plans to hold an independent, judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in torture and rendition.
Answered by David Lidington
Further to the Prime Minister’s Written Statement of 22 November (HCWS1100), the Government continues to give serious consideration to the examination of detainee issues and whether any more lessons can be learned and, if so, how.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether officials of his Department have had discussions with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency on whether to launch an independent, judge-led inquiry into UK complicity in torture and rendition.
Answered by David Lidington
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government was informed about allegations of violations of electoral law against (a) Vote Leave and BeLeave and (b) Leave.EU by (i) the police and (ii) any other public service.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Any allegations of violations of electoral law are for the independent Electoral Commission to investigate. The Electoral Commission has published reports on its investigations into Vote Leave, BeLeave and Leave.EU, and transferred those cases to other organisations independent of government to investigate. As a matter of principle the Government does not comment on live law enforcement investigations.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October to Question 175797, what the timeframe for its response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's reports on detainee mistreatment and rendition is.
Answered by David Lidington
I have nothing further to add to my Answer of 11 October to Question 175797.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether EU citizens will be eligible to (a) stand as candidates and (b) vote in local government elections in England and Wales in 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU (i) with and (ii) without a deal.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The issue of electoral voting rights is part of the wider issue of the rights of EU citizens and UK expats that need to be considered during the Brexit preparations. The rights of both sides should be taken together. The UK pushed hard in negotiations for reciprocal voting rights for EU citizens in the UK, and UK nationals in the EU, but they will not form part of the Withdrawal Agreement. The Government has made clear that we will seek to discuss this issue bilaterally with individual Member States with a view to protecting the rights of UK nationals resident in those Member States, where they will not otherwise continue.
We do not anticipate any changes to the current UK primary legislative framework for candidacy and voting rights being made before the May 2019 English and Northern Ireland local elections. The Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are responsible for their own franchises.
To provide certainty to prospective candidates, it will be the policy intent of the UK Government that candidates who are validly nominated and elected at or before the May 2019 local elections in England and Northern Ireland should be able to serve that term of office in full, notwithstanding any wider changes to voting and candidacy rights in the future.