Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date by (1) the local authorities involved, and (2) His Majesty's Government, in preparing to reform local government in accordance with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government does not centrally hold information about how much local authorities and the Government have spent on preparing for the reform of local government.
A full impact assessment has been conducted by the Government as part of the requirements for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. It was given a green rating by the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating it is fit for purpose. The IA has considered costs across the Bill’s policies which will reform local government, and it has been determined these will not be disproportionate and the relevant mitigations will be in place where required. The impact assessment has been published online and can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the results of the mayoral elections held on 1 May, including the turnout percentage in each mayoralty.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Elections are run by independent Returning Officers, who are responsible for publishing election results.
My Department does not have a formal role in collating and publishing information on the results of Mayoral elections.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years became eligible to vote in the 2024 General Election following a change to the rules under the Elections Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This data is not held centrally. However, the supporting Impact Assessment to the Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 estimated that around 2.3 million British citizens living overseas were enfranchised by the changes to the franchise under the Elections Act 2022. The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years voted in the 2024 General Election.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This data is not held centrally. However, the supporting Impact Assessment to the Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 estimated that around 2.3 million British citizens living overseas were enfranchised by the changes to the franchise under the Elections Act 2022. The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many overseas voters took part in the 2024 general election and what proportion they represented of all of those who were eligible to vote.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government recognises problems facing overseas voters at elections. The Electoral Commission will publish a report on the administration of the General Election held on 4 July later this year, which will cover postal voting at the poll, and the Government will give careful consideration to any findings or recommendations made in the report in relation to the current arrangements for postal voting.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many overseas voters requested a vote in the 2019 general election, listed by the constituency to which they were allocated.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
At the 2019 General Election, the Electoral Commission reported that approximately 230,000 overseas electors were registered to vote. The Commission published (attached) a breakdown of overseas electors by constituency in Great Britain. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/UKPGE%202019-%20Electoral%20Data-Website.xlsx>.
Overseas electors have the option to vote by post, by proxy or in person (where the elector is in the relevant constituency on the day of the poll). The Government does not hold data on the voting method used by overseas electors to cast their vote or how many of them do. The Government does not hold data on the number of overseas electors who submitted a postal vote application.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional people will be enfranchised by their proposal to introduce votes for life for British citizens living overseas.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Elections Bill Impact Assessment estimates the removal of the 15 year rule will increase the number of British citizens abroad who are eligible to register to vote from 0.9 million - 1.1 million people to 3.2 million - 3.4 million people in 2023/24.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 18 July (HL16984), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what assessment they have made of the comparative costs of directly elected mayoral systems and traditional systems of local government administration.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
It is for local areas to decide what governance arrangements would be of most benefit and value to their local communities. The costs of such arrangements are critically dependent on local decisions on how the arrangements are operated, including decisions about member allowances and the number and frequency of meetings. Accordingly, as indicated in answer to the Noble Lord's question of 8 July (HL 16984), assessment undertaken by Government has focused on what different models can deliver, and concludes that the mayoral model provides a single point of accountability that allows significant powers and budgets to be devolved to an area.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 4 July (HL Deb, col 1524), what assessment they have made of (1) the comparative costs of directly elected mayoral systems and traditional systems of local government administration, and (2) whether directly elected mayoral systems represent value for money.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government’s comparative assessment of the models of local governance is that only the mayoral model provides that single point of accountability necessary if significant powers and budgets are to be devolved to an area, and it is for local areas to decide whether such an arrangement would be of benefit and value to their local communities.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 27 May (HL15627), what was the cost of running each of the most recent eight mayoral elections.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Costs of elections of combined authority mayors are met by the combined authorities and this information is held locally. Certain combined authorities have also reported and published their running expenses for conducting elections in their General Fund Revenue Account Outturns and these are set out in the table below:
Combined authority | Year of election | £ (thousands) |
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 2017 | £1,151 (2017-18 return) |
Liverpool City Region | 2017 | £1,532 (2016-17 return) + £630 (2017-18 return) = £2,162 |
Tees Valley | 2017 | £1,083 (2017-18 return) |
West Midlands | 2017 | £4,318 (2017-18 return) |
West of England | 2017 | £1,534 (2017-18 return) |
Link to the 17-18 data (attached):
Link to the 16-17 data (attached):