Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the partially sighted are not adversely affected by potential electoral identification legislative reform.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
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.
The Government in its manifesto committed to protecting the integrity of our democracy by introducing identification to vote at polling stations. Stealing someone's vote is stealing their voice. Voter fraud is a crime that we cannot allow room for and we must stamp out any potential for it to take place in elections. A broad range of documents will be accepted and any eligible voter who does not have one of the required forms of photographic identification, will be able to apply for a free, local Voter Card from their local authority.
We continue to work with local authorities, the Electoral Commission, charities and civil society organisations to make sure that reforms, including the provision of a Voter Card, are delivered in a way that is inclusive for all voters.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of resolution 2371 on the urgent need for electoral reform in Belarus passed at the Council of Europe on 21 April 2021; and whether the Government plans to take steps following the passing of that resolution.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK Government welcomes the important work that Lord Blencathra has undertaken as a Rapporteur for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on the need for widespread and achievable electoral reform in Belarus. For too long the Belarusian regime has deprived its people of their democratic and political rights. Since last year's fraudulent Presidential elections, the UK Government has been at the forefront of international efforts to hold the Belarusian authorities to account, including through invoking the OSCE Moscow Mechanism. The UK and our partners have repeatedly called on the Belarusian authorities to implement all of the recommendations in Professor Benedek's subsequent report into electoral fraud and human rights violations. This includes the holding of new Presidential elections that meet international standards and are subject to unhindered monitoring by credible independent observers, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The UK Government continues to urge the Belarusian authorities to support the calls for urgent electoral and democratic reform and the growth of civil society, to ensure the rightful democratic aspirations of its people are met.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to respond to the findings of the Electoral Reform Society's report, Democracy in the Dark: Digital Campaigning in the 2019 General Election and Beyond, published on 24 September, and in particular, the finding that online campaigning spend and non-party campaigning activity increased significantly, although in an undocumented manner, during the 2019 general election campaign.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government is taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.
Political parties, registered third parties and candidates are already required to report expenses that qualify as electoral expenditure and this includes digital campaigning. We have launched a consultation on digital imprints which will require political parties, campaigners and others to clearly show who they are when promoting campaign content online.
Across all of this work the intention is to improve transparency to ensure voters can make informed choices, and to enforce spending rules.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made for the implications of his policies of the Electoral Reform Society’s Democracy in the Dark: Digital Campaigning in the 2019 General Election and Beyond report.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government is committed to upholding and protecting the integrity of elections. We are taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.
We have already launched a consultation on digital imprints which will require political parties, campaigners and others to clearly show who they are when promoting campaign content online. We continue to work closely with social media companies, and welcome steps they have taken to improve transparency.
Across all of this work the intention is to improve transparency to ensure voters can make informed choices, and to enforce spending rules that ensure an even playing field. Policy or political arguments which can be rebutted by rival campaigners or an independent free press as part of the normal course of political debate are not regulated.The Government does not support creating a regime which would seek to police the accuracy or truthfulness of content.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to implement the ten key recommendations of the Electoral Reform Society’s Democracy in the Dark: Digital Campaigning in the 2019 General Election and Beyond report.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government is committed to upholding and protecting the integrity of elections. We are taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.
We have already launched a consultation on digital imprints which will require political parties, campaigners and others to clearly show who they are when promoting campaign content online. We continue to work closely with social media companies, and welcome steps they have taken to improve transparency.
Across all of this work the intention is to improve transparency to ensure voters can make informed choices, and to enforce spending rules that ensure an even playing field. Policy or political arguments which can be rebutted by rival campaigners or an independent free press as part of the normal course of political debate are not regulated.The Government does not support creating a regime which would seek to police the accuracy or truthfulness of content.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the annual canvass produces an (1) comprehensive, and (2) accurate, record of the electorate in England.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, made in October 2019, introduced comprehensive reform to the annual canvass. Canvass Reform has provided Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with greater flexibility to target their resources in a way which best suits their local area, while at the same time reducing their overall administrative burden. The reforms also make the canvass more effective for citizens, as the initial data matching step means that many will no longer have to respond to the canvass each year.
Ensuring that the electoral register is both accurate and complete is the legislative responsibility of EROs and the Government is supporting EROs to be able to meet this requirement. Preparations to undertake the 2020 Annual Canvass under the reformed system are well underway and Cabinet Office officials have ensured a comprehensive package of training has been provided and direct support is in place.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide additional flexibility to EROs, the Government is also introducing legislation this summer to extend the publication date of the annual register from December 2020 to February 2021. This will provide EROs with greater flexibility and further time to produce a comprehensive and accurate record of the electorate.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, representing Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps the Government is taking to support the take up of keep in touch days during maternity leave.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We are committed to making the UK the best place in the world to work. We will be bringing forward an Employment Rights Bill to deliver the greatest reform of workers’ rights in over 20 years, including measures to ensure that women returning from maternity leave receive additional protection from redundancy.
Pregnant women and new mothers can work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KiT) days without bringing their Maternity Leave, Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance to an end.
KiT days can only be used if both the employer and employee agree to this. Employers cannot require their employees to use their KiT days to work, and similarly employees cannot insist on working a KiT day. Guidance on KiT days for employers and employees is published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the judgment by the High Court in May which ruled that the current method used in elections to make ballot papers accessible for blind and partially sighted voters was unlawful, what plans they have to reform that method.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government continues to work with the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group to make an informed assessment of the most suitable options to take forward. Work has been undertaken to revise guidance to electoral administrators and, with input from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to research technical solutions which will be further discussed at a dedicated sub-group. Officials are also due to hold a meeting specifically on this topic with the RNIB shortly.
The proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech, will bring forward measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. This will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to consult (a) the electoral commission, (b) the electoral reform society, (c) Bite the Ballot, (d) Operation Black Vote and (e) other third sector organisations on the Government's proposed bill on electoral integrity.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Throughout the development of our work on electoral integrity we have consulted with a broad range of representative groups, charities and civil society organisations. We will continue consultation with all of these organisations, keeping Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our planning for the roll out of voter ID in Great Britain.
We have successfully conducted 15 local authority pilots, and will continue to work closely with the Electoral Commission and other organisations expert in the delivery of elections. We will continue to welcome the views of all stakeholders with an interest in voter ID as we take forward measures to improve the integrity and accessibility of our elections.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in his Department on (a) reform of electoral law and (b) data protection.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Cabinet Office is taking a cross-Government approach to the safeguarding of our electoral processes through the Defending Democracy programme and we continue to work closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This work is led within the Cabinet Office by the Minister for the Constitution, under the oversight of the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The Government remains committed to ensuring our electoral law is fit for purpose, now and into the future. In May this year, the Government announced we would be launching a consultation on electoral integrity. As part of that, we are considering measures to strengthen the regulatory framework around elections and ensure they are fully up to date for a modern electoral system. We are also awaiting the publication of the final report from the Law Commission on their review of electoral law, which we understand will be published early next year, and will look at their recommendations and comments with interest.
DCMS is responsible for data protection policy and sponsors the independent regulator of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO are consulting on a draft framework code of practice for the use of personal data in political campaigning, which concluded on 04 October.