Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of easing covid-19 restrictions on christenings on 21 June 2021 in line with weddings and funerals.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Guidance on significant life events, such as baptisms and bar mitzvahs, is available on gov.uk as part of the guidance for the safe use of places of worship. This guidance is kept under continual review, and the government continues to work with its Places of Worship Taskforce and faith leaders to review and amend this guidance, as necessary.
If significant life events take place as part of communal worship, participation is limited by the capacity of the venue, in line with the wider rules on communal worship. If significant life events take place as standalone events, there is a limit of up to 30 people (indoors or outdoors, excluding inside private homes). Anyone working is not included in this limit.
From 21 June, there is no longer a maximum number cap for attendees at wedding or civil partnership ceremonies and receptions set out in law. Many people have planned for wedding or civil partnership ceremonies and receptions a long time in advance, and these types of events can be difficult to book and to cancel. They often require aligning multiple businesses, sometimes years in advance, and can have a significant social and economic cost. The exact number of attendees will be based on the COVID-19 risk assessment of each venue or outdoor space, and measures put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he will take to evaluate the effectiveness of audio voting devices for blind and partially sighted people in pilot programmes planned for the next election.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government is committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with the RNIB to improve the voting process for voters with sight loss. We are currently considering how best to implement changes better to support blind and partially sighted people to cast their vote. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what incentives will be provided to encourage local authorities to take part in the pilot schemes of audio voting devices for blind and partially sighted people planned for the next election.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government is committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with the RNIB to improve the voting process for voters with sight loss. We are currently considering how best to implement changes better to support blind and partially sighted people to cast their vote. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what date Paula Vennells CBE ceased to be a Non-Executive Board Member in the Cabinet Office; and what the circumstances were surrounding her departure from Government.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Details of Cabinet Office Non Executive Board Members are listed on gov.uk and updated as appropriate. Paula Vennells stood down from the Cabinet Office Board on 5 March 2020.