Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, as part of their commitment in the most recent King’s Speech to strengthen the integrity of elections and encourage wide participation in the democratic process, they will consider introducing compulsory voting for general elections.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government has no plans to introduce a compulsory requirement to vote.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of the Cabinet Secretary in evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution on 18 July, what action they have taken to review the position of the Scottish Minister for Independence and the team of civil servants who currently support him.
Answered by Lord Evans of Rainow
I am aware that the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, has stated that he is considering this matter.
All civil servants must abide by the Civil Service Code and the law, and that applies to civil servants working for the Scottish Government.
People expect their Governments to be fully focused on the issues which matter most to them: driving down inflation, growing our economy and maintaining the UK’s energy security by making Britain more energy independent.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much public funding was provided to the Scottish National Party for the last financial year for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Eligible political parties can receive a limited amount of public funding each year. Information on this is held by the Cabinet Office.
Political parties are required to report the funding that they receive, including public funding, directly to the Electoral Commission as part of their wider financial reporting obligations. The Electoral Commission publishes this information on their online database for transparency and public scrutiny.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the International Longevity Centre UK The Mayhew Review – Future-proofing retirement living: Easing the care and housing crises, published on 1 November; and in particular the recommendation that His Majesty’s Government should aim to build 50,000 new homes for older people each year to address issues in the (1) housing, and (2) social care, sectors.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ensuring older people have access to the right homes that suit their needs can help them to live independently for longer and feel more connected to their communities.
We announced in the Levelling Up White Paper an older people’s housing taskforce, to explore how we can improve the choice of and access to housing options for older people.
We are continually increasing our understanding of this market, and note the recommendations in Professor Mayhew's recent review alongside contributions from other stakeholders.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the task force on housing for older people will be launched as promised in the White Paper, Levelling up the United Kingdom, published on 2 February.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ensuring older people have access to the right homes that suit their needs can help them to live independently for longer and feel more connected to their communities.
We announced in the Levelling Up White Paper an older people’s housing taskforce, to explore how we can improve the choice of and access to housing options for older people.
We are continually increasing our understanding of this market, and note the recommendations in Professor Mayhew's recent review alongside contributions from other stakeholders.