Passports: Strike Action and Voter ID

Debate between Baroness Pinnock and Lord Murray of Blidworth

Monday 20th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Pinnock (LD)]

My Lords, this delay in passport applications will undoubtedly lead to some people not having the relevant voter ID available to them on the day in order to vote. Another uncertainty is being put in front of potential voters. The Minister has been saying that people can apply for local authority voter identification, so I will give him some figures to show how minimal that is. In my council area of Kirklees—I have relevant interests—there are an estimated 4,000 voters who will need voter ID from the local authority. There have been 278 applications to date, many of which have been returned for lack of a good-quality photo. What are the Government going to do to make sure that every voter who turns up on 4 May can cast their vote?

[Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con)]

I believe that I have already answered that question a number of times in the course of proceedings in this House and I will not repeat it again.

Asylum Seekers: Local Authority Accommodation

Debate between Baroness Pinnock and Lord Murray of Blidworth

Monday 16th January 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con)]

Clearly, the arrangements made for asylum seekers within the French Republic are a matter for the French Government. I understand that arrangements are made in accordance with their obligations under the refugee convention. There is no express intention by the French Government to ask us to assist with their discharge of those duties.

[Baroness Pinnock (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister said in response to an earlier question that accommodation should be adequate and of a reasonable quality for asylum seekers. Yet we know, from report after report, that that is not the case. Asylum seekers are being housed in very low-quality housing. Three was a report in Inside Housing only last week that described a mother from Nigeria in one-room accommodation with no lock on the door. These are vulnerable people. Asylum accommodation was privatised in 2012. Will the Government change that, so that public sector providers can provide adequate and good accommodation?

[Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con)]

Clearly, the coalition policy to allow private providers of accommodation to perform that service is working well, and the Government have no intention of revising that policy.