Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government has taken to implement the recommendations of Sir Eric Pickles' review of electoral fraud entitled Securing the ballot.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Government’s view is that electoral fraud is unacceptable on any level. Sir Eric Pickles’ review made a number of recommendations for strengthening the integrity of the electoral process, including requiring voters to provide a form of identification at polling stations before voting. In line with the manifesto commitment, the Government plans to run pilot schemes in a number of local authority areas in 2018 that will test the requirement for voters to present ID before voting. Pilots will help to identify the best way of administering this new requirement.
The Government is considering the way forward on the other recommendations made by Sir Eric Pickles, and will continue to consider how to improve the integrity of electoral processes more generally.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many new voters were added to the electoral register after the General Election 2017 was announced; and whether the change in the number of people registered to vote will affect the work of the Electoral Commission in its review of parliamentary constituencies.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Electoral Commission intends to publish data on the number of new electors added to the register at the election in due course.
The Government's manifesto re-affirms the commitment to deliver equal and updated boundaries and reduce the size of the House of Commons.
Following laws already passed by Parliament, which provided that the current Boundary Review should be based on the electoral registers from 2015, the independent and impartial Boundary Commissions are consulting on their proposals to deliver the boundary changes, and they will submit their final proposals to Parliament in autumn 2018. These reforms will ensure fair and equal representation for the voting public across the United Kingdom.
Equalising the size of constituencies in the Boundary Review will ensure everyone’s vote will carry equal weight. Without such boundary reforms, MPs could end up representing constituencies based on data that is over 20 years’ old, disregarding significant changes in demographics, house building and migration.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of votes cast in the General Election 2017 were cast by absentee ballots.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Electoral Commission will be publishing, in due course, a report on the General Election held on 8 June 2017 which we expect will include data on the number of postal votes cast at the General Election and information on rejected postal votes.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of postal votes were defined as spoiled ballots in the General Election 2017.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Electoral Commission will be publishing, in due course, a report on the General Election held on 8 June 2017 which we expect will include data on the number of postal votes cast at the General Election and information on rejected postal votes.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much financial support Southampton has received from publicly funded projects and infrastructure investment over the last seven years.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to introduce a texting service for the public to contact or respond to helpline services to government departments and agencies; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Ben Gummer
Government develops services based on research into user needs. Services do not go public unless they can demonstrate during Service Assessment that they have met user needs in line with the Digital Service Standard, including methods for user support and contact. Where Government has a shared need, the Government Digital Service can develop products that can be reused across departments and agencies. For example, GOV.UK Notify was developed to make it easier and more efficient to keep people updated, by helping service teams across government to send text messages, emails or letters to their users. We do not currently have plans to develop a texting service for users to contact or respond to helpline services.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to introduce 0800 and other free numbers for public helpline services to government departments and agencies; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Ben Gummer
In October 2015 the Government published guidance on department’s use of telephone prefixes and free numbers which can be found here:
Departments are responsible and accountable for their choice of number prefix, supported by an appropriate numbering policy position. Where appropriate, departments must justify exceptions to the guidance.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government takes to ensure that it does not place publicly-funded advertisements in publications that promote hate speech.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Government buys advertising space via a single media buying agency, Carat.
The media buying agency have been instructed to ensure that Government advertising only appears in reputable media, including publications.