A Bill to make provision for expenditure by the Secretary of State and the removal of restrictions in respect of certain land for or in connection with the construction of a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government plans for the Voter Identification Regulations 2022 to be in place for upcoming by-elections taking place from January 2023.
Answered by Lee Rowley
As set out in already published materials, electors will be required to show photographic identification at certain elections, local referendums and recall petitions in England, Wales and Scotland from May 2023 onwards.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Government's plans to introduce voter identification, whether voters that are applying for absentee ballots will be required to provide a copy of their photo identification along with their application.
Answered by Lee Rowley
In 2021 the Cabinet Office commissioned a nationally representative survey to assess the percentage of the eligible population who hold at least one form of photo identification and this found that all ethnic minority groups combined were slightly more likely to hold any form of photo identification (99%) than those from a White ethnic background (98%). Further information on the survey and its findings can be found here.
In relation to absent votes, electors who decide to vote by post will not need to provide photographic identification. If they appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf, their proxy will need to present photographic identification at the polling station.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government not holding data on ethnic groups' possession of photographic ID on BAME voters in the event that the Government introduces voter ID.
Answered by Lee Rowley
In 2021 the Cabinet Office commissioned a nationally representative survey to assess the percentage of the eligible population who hold at least one form of photo identification and this found that all ethnic minority groups combined were slightly more likely to hold any form of photo identification (99%) than those from a White ethnic background (98%). Further information on the survey and its findings can be found here.
In relation to absent votes, electors who decide to vote by post will not need to provide photographic identification. If they appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf, their proxy will need to present photographic identification at the polling station.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Government's proposals on voter ID, what plans are in place for voters whose gender identity may not match their photo ID.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Cabinet Office research shows that 99% of those aged 18-29 held an accepted form of photographic identification, and 98% of those aged over 70 hold an accepted form of photographic identification.
Everyone who is eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so. Any eligible voter who does not have one of the required forms of photographic identification, or whose appearance has significantly changed in comparison to their existing identification documents, can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate that matches their current appearance.
Polling station staff will be given appropriate training and there will be a requirement for privacy screens to allow electors who wish to have their form of identification viewed in private able to do so.
The Electoral Commission will provide a comprehensive, targeted communications campaign and guidance, raising awareness throughout the electorate of the new voter identification requirements.
Northern Ireland has successfully operated photographic identification in polling stations since 2003, when introduced by the last Labour Government.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department spent in total on external recruitment consultants in 2021; how many full time equivalent posts were filled as a result of that expenditure; and how many of those posts were filled by individuals recruited from outside the civil service.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 59771 on 25 October 2022. The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) posts filled as a result of that expenditure was 1.4, of which 0.4 FTE was filled by individuals recruited from outside the Civil Service.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to introduce a voluntary exit programme for civil servants serving in his Department.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Any announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of introducing voter identification at local elections.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government remains fully committed to addressing the serious issue of fraud in elections. Building on the introduction by the then Labour Government in 2001 of a requirement for photographic identification for elections in Northern Ireland, the 2022 Elections Act introduces a similar requirement for elections across Great Britain.
The Elections Act 2022 lists accepted forms of identification, including student identity cards covered by the PASS scheme.
The Government has published a Voter Identification Impact Assessment which includes details on training, and privacy screens and other equipment. It is anticipated that a privacy screen will only be required when there is no private room or area in the polling place to carry out identification checks. However, as the proportion of polling places with private areas is unknown, cost estimates assumed one privacy screen per polling station and are therefore over estimates.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of introducing voter identification in each of the next five years.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government remains fully committed to addressing the serious issue of fraud in elections. Building on the introduction by the then Labour Government in 2001 of a requirement for photographic identification for elections in Northern Ireland, the 2022 Elections Act introduces a similar requirement for elections across Great Britain.
The Elections Act 2022 lists accepted forms of identification, including student identity cards covered by the PASS scheme.
The Government has published a Voter Identification Impact Assessment which includes details on training, and privacy screens and other equipment. It is anticipated that a privacy screen will only be required when there is no private room or area in the polling place to carry out identification checks. However, as the proportion of polling places with private areas is unknown, cost estimates assumed one privacy screen per polling station and are therefore over estimates.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 1 July 2021 to Question 23232 on Elections: Proof of Identity, if he will make an estimate of (a) how many and (b) what the cost will be of privacy screens that will be required under voter ID requirements at the next general election.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government remains fully committed to addressing the serious issue of fraud in elections. Building on the introduction by the then Labour Government in 2001 of a requirement for photographic identification for elections in Northern Ireland, the 2022 Elections Act introduces a similar requirement for elections across Great Britain.
The Elections Act 2022 lists accepted forms of identification, including student identity cards covered by the PASS scheme.
The Government has published a Voter Identification Impact Assessment which includes details on training, and privacy screens and other equipment. It is anticipated that a privacy screen will only be required when there is no private room or area in the polling place to carry out identification checks. However, as the proportion of polling places with private areas is unknown, cost estimates assumed one privacy screen per polling station and are therefore over estimates.