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Written Question
NHS: George Cross
Thursday 11th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to award the George Cross to the National Health Service.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Government appreciates there is a huge appetite across the country to recognise all those on the frontline, particularly the NHS, who have been contributing so much through these extraordinary times.

The Government is carefully considering the appropriate way to remember, reward and recognise those involved in the COVID-19 response. We will ensure that any recognition is both timely and appropriate, and takes into account key workers and volunteers across all critical sectors.




Written Question
Elections: Visual Impairment
Monday 4th November 2019

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accessibility of elections for blind and partially sighted people; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that the new photographic ID requirement does not decrease that accessibility.

Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

In 2018 the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. It received over 250 responses and in a subsequent response paper set out some of the things it was going to look at, including elements that address accessibility issues for people with sight loss.

With regard to piloting voter identification in polling stations, the Government has worked with the Access to Elections Working Group, which includes people from RNIB, Mencap and other organisations representing disabled people, to consider how accessibility can be maintained. The Government has also worked with a wide range of other stakeholders. 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 are also starting to bring forward measures which respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections, with the proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.


Written Question
Elections: Proof of Identity
Thursday 31st October 2019

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that the application process for any free alternative form of electoral ID is well publicised and accessible.

Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century. As was the case in the 2018 and 2019 voter ID pilots, electors who do not have any of the required types of ID will be able to apply for a locally issued electoral identity document, free of charge.

The Electoral Commission will be responsible for the national awareness raising campaign to ensure that all voters know how to ensure they have the ID required to vote. A great deal of work was done by each local authority in the voter ID pilots to ensure all voters were aware of the requirement to provide ID and they were able to obtain locally issued ID if required.

We will continue working with the pilot authorities who have tested voter ID, the Electoral Commission, and the Cabinet Office pilot and reference group to develop a secure and accessible process for national implementation.


Written Question
Elections: Visual Impairment
Wednesday 30th October 2019

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that their proposals to "protect the integrity of the electoral system" include provisions to ensure people with conditions such as sight loss are able to vote.

Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

The Government announced in conjunction with the Queen’s Speech that it intends to bring forward a package of measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including people with sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.


Written Question
Elections: Visual Impairment
Wednesday 30th October 2019

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.


Written Question
Elections: Visual Impairment
Wednesday 30th October 2019

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that any introduction of a photographic ID requirement for voting will not have a disproportionate effect on blind and partially sighted people.

Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century.

We will continue to consult and work with a broad range of representative groups, charities and civil society organisations to understand the needs of all voters. We will also continue to listen to the Cabinet Office Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes in its membership the Royal National Institute of Blind people.

We will keep Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our preparations and work with stakeholders as we take forward measures to improve the integrity and accessibility of our elections. These measures will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.


Written Question
Natural Disasters
Tuesday 17th November 2015

Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley

The UK adopted the Sendai Framework in March 2015. The UK has a range of robust mechanisms in place for dealing with disasters and reducing disaster risk. The National Focal Point for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, recently attended the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, the regional body responsible for tracking progress against the Sendai targets. Implementation of the Sendai Framework is at an early stage, but work is ongoing within the UK to further improve domestic disaster risk reduction, and sharing best practice and building capability overseas – including through peer review, highlighted in the Sendai Framework as a means to strengthen disaster risk governance. The UK volunteered to be the subject of the first international peer review in 2012, and UK experts have subsequently taken part in peer reviews in Bulgaria and Finland.