Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the guidance entitled The Innovation in Democracy Programme, published on 30 May 2019, what recent steps her Department has taken to implement models of deliberative democracy since the conclusion of that programme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20th July 2022 to Question UIN 36813.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing new deliberative democracy processes (a) in local communities and (b) for national policy issues.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20th July 2022 to Question UIN 36813.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on her Department’s deliberative democracy pilot.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Innovation in Democracy Programme was a £550,000, one-year joint Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (now Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities) programme that trialled innovative models of deliberative democracy to involve citizens in local decision making. We supported three local authorities (LAs) to pilot citizens’ assemblies, which enabled the LAs to convene a randomly selected but representative sample of residents to deliberate, reach consensus, and make recommendations about a difficult policy issue that the LA had to make. This led to people having an impact on local policy development and delivery.
The programme ended in March 2020 and work in this field is no longer continuing. We published a publicly-available toolkit for local authorities and other policymakers about how to hold their own citizens' assemblies. Case studies for all three citizens’ assemblies are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the use of deliberate democracy processes in forming departmental policy.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Innovation in Democracy Programme was a £550,000, one-year joint Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (now Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities) programme that trialled innovative models of deliberative democracy to involve citizens in local decision making. We supported three local authorities (LAs) to pilot citizens’ assemblies, which enabled the LAs to convene a randomly selected but representative sample of residents to deliberate, reach consensus, and make recommendations about a difficult policy issue that the LA had to make. This led to people having an impact on local policy development and delivery.
The programme ended in March 2020 and work in this field is no longer continuing. We published a publicly-available toolkit for local authorities and other policymakers about how to hold their own citizens' assemblies. Case studies for all three citizens’ assemblies are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of encouraging deliberative democracy to strengthen citizens engagement with UK democracy; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government welcomed the opportunity to participate in the first virtual Summit for Democracy in December, with the main topics being: Fighting Corruption; Defending Against Authoritarianism, and Advancing Human Rights. Throughout the Year of Action, we will work with the US and other Summit participants to advance the goals of the Summit and the UK's own commitments. Alongside other Summit participants, we will discuss the agenda for the second, in-person Summit as it develops throughout the year.
The Government takes a keen interest in initiatives to facilitate discussion and interest in constitutional issues and the UK's constitutional arrangements, including citizens' assemblies, as part of our commitment to supporting space for the expression of a wide range of citizens' views.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that universal credit claimants participating in the Innovation in Democracy Programme do not receive deductions to their universal credit as a result of that participation.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Innovation in Democracy Programme supported three local authorities to trial innovative models of deliberative democracy to involve citizens in local decision-making through the use of citizens’ assemblies. The programme ran from November 2018 to March 2020. The citizens’ assemblies took place between September and December 2019.
All participants were offered £300 for the 4 days of the citizens assembly. In addition, participants were reimbursed for costs of travel, childcare and other caring costs.
With regards to people on Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits, we advised all prospective assembly members to speak to a trusted source of welfare benefits advice.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on the implementation of the Innovation in Democracy Programme.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
The Innovation in Democracy Programme is supporting three local authorities to trial innovative models of deliberative democracy to involve citizens in local decision-making. The Greater Cambridge Partnership have completed their participatory sessions with local people, with the recommendations being delivered to the council shortly. Test Valley and Dudley authorities will be starting their area democracy forums this autumn.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the invitation of 17 June 2019 from the all-party Parliamentary group on deliberative democracy to meet that group to discuss progress on the innovation in democracy project; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
The Minister for Civil Society responded to the invitation on 10 September 2019, confirming that an official would attend the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deliberative Democracy.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the invitation of 17 June 2019 from the all-party Parliamentary group on deliberative democracy to meet them to discuss progress on the innovation in democracy project; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Warman
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.