Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2021 to Question 51854 on Visual Impairment: Voting Methods, what recourse would a blind or partially sighted person have in the event that a tactile voting device was not available in their polling station should a Returning Officer decide that the provision of that device was not reasonable.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
It is integral to our democracy that everybody is able to make their voice heard and that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote.
This is why, for the first time in electoral law, through the Elections Bill, we are putting in place a requirement for Returning Officers to consider the needs of all disabled voters when providing equipment for polling stations.
This will allow Returning Officers to tailor the package of equipment they offer to their voters and to take into account developments in equipment and technology, in order to best meet the needs of people with disabilities including those who have sight loss.
Clear guidance will be issued to Returning Officers by the Electoral Commission, which will be produced in partnership with the Government's expert Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes a wide range of stakeholders including the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
We will also work with the group and wider stakeholder networks to publicise the support available and help ensure people get the right support for them.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when successful applications to the UK Community Renewal Fund will be announced; when funds will be released to local authorities in Great Britain and to projects in Northern Ireland; for what projects funding has not been released according to the timeline set out in his Department's prospectus; and whether the deadline for completing projects under the Community Renewal Fund will be extended in response to that delay.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
I understand that lead local authorities and applicants are eager to hear investment decisions and begin delivery of UK Community Renewal Fund projects. We have received a fantastic response to the launch of the Community Renewal Fund, and also to the Levelling Up Fund and Community Ownership Fund. Given the significant level of interest my officials are continuing to assess UK Community Renewal Fund bids in line with the published assessment process.
My officials will shortly provide further guidance to enable lead local authorities to plan for the delivery phase of the Community Renewal Fund. This guidance will include confirmation of the timeline for project delivery, grant funding agreements and publication of the monitoring and evaluation framework. This combined with direct local support provided by the Cities and Local Growth Unit, will I hope alleviate any challenges faced by successful projects.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 effect of provisions in the Elections Bill on supporting (a) blind and partially sighted people and (b) people with other disabilities.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
It is integral to our democracy that everybody is able to make their voice heard and that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote.
This is why, for the first time in electoral law, through the Elections Bill, we are putting in place a requirement for Returning Officers to consider the needs of all disabled voters when providing equipment for polling stations.
This will allow Returning Officers to tailor the package of equipment they offer to their voters to take into account developments in equipment and technology, in order to best meet the needs of people with disabilities including those who have sight loss.
Clear guidance will be issued to Returning Officers by the Electoral Commission, which will be produced in partnership with the Government's expert Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes a wide range of stakeholders such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
This change has arisen following the Government's Call for Evidence on the Access to Elections. Responses from disabled people and organisations that represent their interests made clear that the current approach of requiring Returning Officers to solely provide at the polling station, a prescribed device for voters with sight loss, was not the best approach to meet the varied needs of disabled electors. Our new proposals will seek to meet those needs.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 Elections Bill, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on a blind or partially sighted voter of a decision by a Returning Officer that a tactile voting device is not reasonable to provide in a polling station.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
It is integral to our democracy that everybody is able to make their voice heard and that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote.
This is why, for the first time in electoral law, through the Elections Bill, we are putting in place a requirement for Returning Officers to consider the needs of all disabled voters when providing equipment for polling stations.
This will allow Returning Officers to tailor the package of equipment they offer to their voters to take into account developments in equipment and technology, in order to best meet the needs of people with disabilities. The tactile voting device is a well-established element of the support in place for voters with disabilities and Returning Officers will be well-placed to understand how it can be deployed to best effect to support voters in their areas.
Clear guidance will be issued to Returning Officers by the Electoral Commission, which will be produced in partnership with the Government's expert Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes a wide range of stakeholders such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the devolved nations receive the full amount of funds allocated to them under the (a) Community Renewal Fund and (b) Levelling up Fund in the event that insufficient applications are submitted to reach that amount.
Answered by Luke Hall
We are committed to ensuring that local partners across the UK are able to benefit through both the Community Renewal Fund and the Levelling Up Fund.
The Levelling Up Fund is a competitive fund, with funding distributed to places across the UK on the basis of successful bid selection. The Fund will set aside at least £800 million across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over four years from 2021-2022 to 2024-2025. For the first round of funding, at least 9% of total UK allocations will be set aside for Scotland, 5% for Wales, and 3% for Northern Ireland.
For the Community Renewal Fund, we have assigned a lead authority for each local area across Great Britain. Lead authorities have invited bids from a range of project applicants, appraised and prioritised a shortlist of projects up to a maximum of £3 million per place, which were submitted on 18 June to UK Government for assessment and approval. In Northern Ireland, project applications were invited to bid directly to the UK Government.
Bidding authorities across the UK have been well supported for both funds to submit quality applications through webinars and guidance. Capacity funding will also be made available to all eligible bidding authorities.