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Written Question
British Nationals Abroad: Electoral Register
Monday 7th June 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many overseas electors are (1) on electoral rolls in the United Kingdom, (2) apply for a postal vote, and (3) voted in the 2019 general election.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

There were 233,000 overseas electors registered in Great Britain for the 2019 general election. The Government does not hold data on the number of overseas electors who submitted a postal vote application or how many voted.

The Office for National Statistics also publishes electoral statistic bulletins with some information on overseas electors. This can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/elections/electoralregistration/bulletins/electoralstatisticsforuk/previousReleases.


Written Question
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Tuesday 25th May 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the EU about the establishment of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, as provided for in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; and what has been the outcome of any such discussions.

Answered by Lord Frost

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for a Civil Society Forum - composed of a balanced representation of UK and EU business and civil society groups - to discuss the implementation of aspects of the Agreement.

We are in contact with the EU about the operational guidelines for the conduct of this Forum and will work to facilitate its first meeting this year.

We will, of course, continue to engage with business and civil society in the usual way, including on issues relating to TCA implementation.

As for the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, it is a matter for Parliament to consider the potential shape of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, within the framework set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


Written Question
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Tuesday 25th May 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish the Civil Society Forum as provided for in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Answered by Lord Frost

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for a Civil Society Forum - composed of a balanced representation of UK and EU business and civil society groups - to discuss the implementation of aspects of the Agreement.

We are in contact with the EU about the operational guidelines for the conduct of this Forum and will work to facilitate its first meeting this year.

We will, of course, continue to engage with business and civil society in the usual way, including on issues relating to TCA implementation.

As for the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, it is a matter for Parliament to consider the potential shape of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, within the framework set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


Written Question
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Advisory Bodies
Monday 8th February 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for establishing the domestic advisory group or groups described in Article INST.7 of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Government is carefully considering how it provides for the necessary institutions provided for in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Government consults with a wide range of businesses and civil society groups on an ongoing basis, including on the issues covered by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


Written Question
UK Government Union Capability Independent Review
Thursday 4th February 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish (1) the Dunlop Review into the UK Government Union capability, and (2) the Review of Intergovernmental Relations.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

We will publish Lord Dunlop’s review shortly. A full response will be published in due course.

We are pleased by the progress the UK Government and the devolved administrations have made in developing the package of Intergovernmental Relations reforms. Announcements will be made in the usual way.


Written Question
Third Sector
Monday 25th January 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the establishment of the Civil Society Forum, as provided for in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Government is considering how to take forward obligations and commitments under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Announcements will be made in the usual way.


Written Question
Public Appointments
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter from the Commissioner for Public Appointments to the Chair of the Committee on Standards of Public Life, dated 7 October.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

Public appointments must adhere to high standards and are regulated by an independent, external process via a Governance Code. The Commissioner for Public Appointments has not found breaches of this Code in respect of the concerns he raises in the letter.


Written Question
Customs Officers
Wednesday 28th October 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many officials have been (1) recruited, and (2) redeployed to deliver the Government’s planned customs and border arrangements with the EU; and, if they have made such an assessment, how this compares with the number of officials employed by the European Commission.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

Structured recruitment and training plans are ongoing to ensure that officials will be in place to deliver the planned customs and borders arrangements with the EU, once we leave the customs union on 31 December 2020.

The European Commission does not have operational responsibility for customs and borders and so a meaningful comparison between UK and European Commission officials cannot be made.


Written Question
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Tuesday 11th August 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to use their powers under section 2(3) of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 to extend reporting requirements to Special Advisors.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

As the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution set out in a letter to the Executive Secretary of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) Secretariat, the Government will commence post-legislative scrutiny of Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 Act (the Act) this year.

The letter is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903767/Letter_of_24_July_from_Chloe_Smith_to_Gianluca_Esposito.pdf


Written Question
Lobbying
Tuesday 11th August 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to adopt the recommendation in the report by the Group of States against Corruption, Fifth evaluation round - evaluation report - United Kingdom, published on the 17 May 2018, that the scope of the registry of consultant lobbyists be extended to include (1) third parties operating with in-house lobbyists, and (2) the lobbying of specialist advisors and senior civil servants involved in policy making.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

As the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution set out in a letter to the Executive Secretary of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) Secretariat, the Government will commence post-legislative scrutiny of Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 Act (the Act) this year.

The letter is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903767/Letter_of_24_July_from_Chloe_Smith_to_Gianluca_Esposito.pdf