Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, if she will ensure that Ministers drawing up plans to tackle abuse of electoral candidates take account of the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry into Electoral Conduct, published in 2013, and updates to that report.
Answered by Theresa May
I have asked the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life to carry out a review of the intimidation experienced by parliamentary candidates, including those who stood to become Members of Parliament at the 2017 General Election.
This review should:
“Examine the nature of the problem and consider whether measures already in place to address such behaviour are sufficient to protect the integrity of public service; and whether such measures are (a) effective, especially given the rise of social media, and (b) enforceable
Produce a report for the Prime Minister, including recommendations for action focused on what could be done in the short- and long-term, and identifying examples of good practice.
The review will recognise the important role of legitimate scrutiny of those standing for public office by the public and the press.”
It will be for the Committee to decide its approach and to gather evidence of abuse; examine the nature of the problem; consider whether the measures already in place to address such behaviour are effective and enforceable and make recommendations for action. I look forward to receiving their findings.
I would encourage the All-Party Parliamentary Group to submit its reports and evidence to the Committee’s review.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, what steps she plans to take to tackle abuse of electoral candidates; what plans she has to investigate past instances of such abuse; and which Ministers will be responsible for that work.
Answered by Theresa May
I have asked the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life to carry out a review of the intimidation experienced by parliamentary candidates, including those who stood to become Members of Parliament at the 2017 General Election.
This review should:
“Examine the nature of the problem and consider whether measures already in place to address such behaviour are sufficient to protect the integrity of public service; and whether such measures are (a) effective, especially given the rise of social media, and (b) enforceable
Produce a report for the Prime Minister, including recommendations for action focused on what could be done in the short- and long-term, and identifying examples of good practice.
The review will recognise the important role of legitimate scrutiny of those standing for public office by the public and the press.”
It will be for the Committee to decide its approach and to gather evidence of abuse; examine the nature of the problem; consider whether the measures already in place to address such behaviour are effective and enforceable and make recommendations for action. I look forward to receiving their findings.
I would encourage the All-Party Parliamentary Group to submit its reports and evidence to the Committee’s review.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many prosecutions there have been for electoral fraud relating to postal votes in each of the last five years; and to which parliamentary constituencies such prosecutions related.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
This Government is committed to creating a secure and clear democracy that works for all. We published our response to the Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles’ report on electoral fraud in December 2016 setting out the Government’s approach to tackling the recommendations Sir Eric made.
The Electoral Commission publishes annual analysis of electoral fraud on their website. (http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/find-information-by-subject/electoral-fraud/data-and-analysis?)
Further information on electoral fraud is available in the reports.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he has had with whom and on what dates to discuss (a) antisemitism and (b) other forms of racism since 2015.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations, including senior media figures, are published routinely on Gov.uk and can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications
Information about meetings between officials, businesses and charities are not centrally held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, how many times she has discussed (a) anti-Semitism and (b) anti-Semitism on the internet with her (i) Cabinet colleagues and (ii) international counterparts.
Answered by Theresa May
Anti-Semitism continues to be a problem in this country which is why it is right that, as a Government, we are able to demonstrate the seriousness with which we take it, as we do for other forms of hate crime.
This Government has led the way in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism and continues to build on the solid work of the cross-Government working group on tackling anti-Semitism, which ensures that we are alive to any issues and concerns of the Jewish community and can respond quickly. I and ministerial colleagues are in regular contact with representatives of the Jewish community, including the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and other key stakeholders. Concerns about the levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism on the internet are discussed by the relevant Cabinet ministers as and when the need arises, and with international counterparts.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings she has had and with whom at which anti-Semitism was discussed.
Answered by Theresa May
Anti-Semitism continues to be a problem in this country which is why it is right that, as a Government, we are able to demonstrate the seriousness with which we take it, as we do for other forms of hate crime.
This Government has led the way in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism and continues to build on the solid work of the cross-Government working group on tackling anti-Semitism, which ensures that we are alive to any issues and concerns of the Jewish community and can respond quickly. I and ministerial colleagues are in regular contact with representatives of the Jewish community, including the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and other key stakeholders. Concerns about the levels of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism on the internet are discussed by the relevant Cabinet ministers as and when the need arises, and with international counterparts.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died as a result of a drug overdose in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people were diagnosed with melanoma in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what instructions and guidance his Department has given to other Government departments on the destruction of paper and electronic records potentially relevant to the Independent Panel inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and whether that guidance is in line with the provisions of the Inquiries Act 2005 on the production of evidence.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
The Cabinet Office has in place a process for reviewing its files scheduled for destruction, and has a moratorium in place on the destruction of potentially relevant files. My officials have contacted Departmental Records Officers’ to ensure that they have similar processes in place.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died as a result of (a) malignant melanoma and (b) other forms of skin cancer in England and Wales in the last five years.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.