Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government since the introduction of individual electoral registration how many people have attempted to register to vote but failed to do so because they were unable to provide their National Insurance number; and how many of those were online applicants.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Since the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in England and Wales on 10 June and 19 September in Scotland, only 1% of all applications submitted to register to vote via the IER digital service have not been able to provide their personal identifiers (National Insurance Number or Date of Birth).
The registration process also allows for registrations to be made where it is not possible for an applicant to supply their National Insurance Number. Those unable to provide these personal identifiers can apply through an exceptions process where they will be asked by their Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to provide documentary evidence to confirm their identity such as a passport or driving license. EROs have been trained to support electors through this process if necessary.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will award the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal retrospectively to retired members of the armed forces who served for 15 years or more.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
Although work continues to determine how to implement the recommendations of Sir John Holmes' independent Military Medals Review, it has already been decided that the Long Service and Good Conduct medal will not be awarded retrospectively to retired officers. A significant factor in this decision is the difficulty which would be encountered in gaining access to the records of all those who have left the Armed Forces when considering eligibility.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the UNESCO mediation process to settle the dispute over the Parthenon sculptures currently held in the British Museum, under the rules set by the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government notes that the Intergovernmental Committee has invited Greece and the UK to consider making use of its mediation process with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures. The mediation process is one option the Intergovernmental Committee offers for facilitating the bilateral resolution of disputes regarding cultural property and requires the consent of both parties concerned to enter into the process.
The Government is considering the proposal and will respond in due course. The Government is clear that the sculptures are legally owned by the British Museum who continue to provide access for all.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making preparations to publish data on how many electors on the new electoral register due to be published in December are registered by virtue of (1) filling in a form online, (2) filling in a paper form, (3) responding to a doorstep canvass, (4) confirmation through the data-matching process, and (5) carry-over from the household electoral registration system.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
The Electoral Commission (EC) will assess progress in the transition to Individual Electoral Registration in England and Wales based on the Electoral Register as of 1 December 2014 and plans to publish their evaluation in February 2015. The Office for National Statistics will also publish statistics on the December register.
Scotland will publish their registers in March and the EC plans to publish a separate assessment of these in April 2015.
The Government intends to make their own assessment of the transition. An assessment of the confirmation live run in England and Wales was published in October 2014 and can be found here:
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will include information about online electoral registration with notifications and reminders of National Insurance numbers.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Users are reminded they will need their National Insurance Number before they start the application.
Cabinet Office along with HM Revenue and Customs will explore the potential mutual benefits of collaboration in regards to the inclusion of electoral registration information in National Insurance Number reminder letters.
The Government is looking at all options to exploit the full potential of online registration in increasing the completeness and accuracy of the register.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to provide a live online service by which citizens may obtain a reminder of their National Insurance number.
Answered by Lord Deighton
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs are exploring options for what information could be presented to an authenticated customer via on online service as part of a digital tax account. The digital tax account is a key component of HMRC’s Digital Strategy.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to improve electoral registration rates among those attaining the age of 18.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
Electoral registration is the responsibility of local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), supported by the Electoral Commission.
To support the transition to Individual Electoral Registration, the Government has invested £4.2 million in 2013/14 shared across every ERO in Great Britain and 5 national organisations to support the costs of activities aimed at increasing the rate of voter registration.
The Government has also introduced online registration in Great Britain. As of midnight 28 October, 478,177 16-24 year olds had registered online.
The Government has made freely available the Rock Enrol! resource aimed at engaging young people in democracy. This is free to download on GOV.UK, Guardian Teach and on the Times Educational Supplement website.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for the major improvement of the A417/A436 junction at the Air Balloon roundabout in Gloucestershire; and what immediate steps are planned to alleviate the traffic congestion in that area.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The Highways Agency is preparing a Route Strategy for the Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire. This includes the A417/A436 junction at the Air Balloon roundabout, which itself is part of the section of the A417 known as the ‘Missing Link’ and identified as a key issue on this route. The next stage will be to assess options, including major improvements, and to produce indicative business cases as the basis upon which to prioritise investment from 2015. Outcomes from the Route Strategies are expected to be announced in spring 2015. There are no other immediate plans to undertake any works on this route before the Route Strategy is concluded.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka; and what recent discussions they have had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights about the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka of 27 March.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka especially in the North. Our concerns include the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders (HRDs) and activists, attacks on religious minorities, and the protection of the right to freedom of expression and opinion.
Through our Mission in Geneva, we maintain regular contact with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following the adoption of the resolution, we are engaging with international partners to ensure the implementation of the resolution's international investigation into violations of international law by both sides during Sri Lanka's conflict. We believe that progress on accountability, human rights and reconciliation is important in establishing enduring peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Such progress will ensure Sri Lanka can reach its full potential as a strong and prosperous nation.