Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of broadening the range of circumstances under which a recall petition takes place.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government believes that the Recall of MPs Act 2015 is operating well and as intended. There are no plans to increase the number of conditions that can trigger a recall petition.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to negotiate the harmonisation of the amount of time that UK nationals can spend in the EU under the 90 in 180 day Schengen rule with the amount of time that EU nationals can spend in the UK with her EU counterparts.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals.
The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was allocated for preparations for the 2031 census in each of the past three financial years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd July is attached.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to make a formal decision on the methodology for the 2031 Census; and what steps he plans to take to hold stakeholder consultation prior to that decision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The UK Statistics Authority published their recommendation on the next (2031) Census on 17 June. The recommendation outlines the consultation they undertook in order to reach their recommendation.
The Government will publish their response in due course.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Office for National Statistics has had with local government stakeholders on the 2031 census.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon Lady’s Parliamentary Question of 17th June is attached.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with the UK Statistics Authority on (a) the future of the census and (b) the 2031 census; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I have met with UK Statistics Authority / Office of National Statistics leadership regarding the future of the census and the 2031 census twice: in October 2024 and April 2025. As is longstanding practice, we do not publish minutes of such meetings.
The Office for Statistics Regulation published a report on Thursday 12 June setting out its post publication findings on the 2021 England and Wales Census, including the impact of the pandemic on the census.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the accuracy of the 2021 census, in the context of covid-19 lockdown measures.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I have met with UK Statistics Authority / Office of National Statistics leadership regarding the future of the census and the 2031 census twice: in October 2024 and April 2025. As is longstanding practice, we do not publish minutes of such meetings.
The Office for Statistics Regulation published a report on Thursday 12 June setting out its post publication findings on the 2021 England and Wales Census, including the impact of the pandemic on the census.