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Written Question
Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad
Wednesday 4th December 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years became eligible to vote in the 2024 General Election following a change to the rules under the Elections Act 2022.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This data is not held centrally. However, the supporting Impact Assessment to the Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 estimated that around 2.3 million British citizens living overseas were enfranchised by the changes to the franchise under the Elections Act 2022. The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).


Written Question
General Election 2024: British Nationals Abroad
Wednesday 4th December 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years voted in the 2024 General Election.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This data is not held centrally. However, the supporting Impact Assessment to the Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 estimated that around 2.3 million British citizens living overseas were enfranchised by the changes to the franchise under the Elections Act 2022. The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).


Written Question
General Election 2024: British Nationals Abroad
Monday 12th August 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many overseas voters took part in the 2024 general election and what proportion they represented of all of those who were eligible to vote.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government recognises problems facing overseas voters at elections. The Electoral Commission will publish a report on the administration of the General Election held on 4 July later this year, which will cover postal voting at the poll, and the Government will give careful consideration to any findings or recommendations made in the report in relation to the current arrangements for postal voting.


Written Question
Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad
Tuesday 15th March 2022

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many overseas voters requested a vote in the 2019 general election, listed by the constituency to which they were allocated.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

At the 2019 General Election, the Electoral Commission reported that approximately 230,000 overseas electors were registered to vote. The Commission published (attached) a breakdown of overseas electors by constituency in Great Britain. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/UKPGE%202019-%20Electoral%20Data-Website.xlsx>.

Overseas electors have the option to vote by post, by proxy or in person (where the elector is in the relevant constituency on the day of the poll). The Government does not hold data on the voting method used by overseas electors to cast their vote or how many of them do. The Government does not hold data on the number of overseas electors who submitted a postal vote application.


Written Question
Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad
Tuesday 15th March 2022

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional people will be enfranchised by their proposal to introduce votes for life for British citizens living overseas.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Elections Bill Impact Assessment estimates the removal of the 15 year rule will increase the number of British citizens abroad who are eligible to register to vote from 0.9 million - 1.1 million people to 3.2 million - 3.4 million people in 2023/24.


Written Question
Mayors: Cost Effectiveness
Wednesday 7th August 2019

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 18 July (HL16984), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what assessment they have made of the comparative costs of directly elected mayoral systems and traditional systems of local government administration.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)

It is for local areas to decide what governance arrangements would be of most benefit and value to their local communities. The costs of such arrangements are critically dependent on local decisions on how the arrangements are operated, including decisions about member allowances and the number and frequency of meetings. Accordingly, as indicated in answer to the Noble Lord's question of 8 July (HL 16984), assessment undertaken by Government has focused on what different models can deliver, and concludes that the mayoral model provides a single point of accountability that allows significant powers and budgets to be devolved to an area.


Written Question
Mayors: Cost Effectiveness
Thursday 18th July 2019

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 4 July (HL Deb, col 1524), what assessment they have made of (1) the comparative costs of directly elected mayoral systems and traditional systems of local government administration, and (2) whether directly elected mayoral systems represent value for money.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government’s comparative assessment of the models of local governance is that only the mayoral model provides that single point of accountability necessary if significant powers and budgets are to be devolved to an area, and it is for local areas to decide whether such an arrangement would be of benefit and value to their local communities.


Written Question
Mayors: Elections
Tuesday 18th June 2019

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 27 May (HL15627), what was the cost of running each of the most recent eight mayoral elections.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Costs of elections of combined authority mayors are met by the combined authorities and this information is held locally. Certain combined authorities have also reported and published their running expenses for conducting elections in their General Fund Revenue Account Outturns and these are set out in the table below:

Combined authority

Year of election

£ (thousands)

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

2017

£1,151 (2017-18 return)

Liverpool City Region

2017

£1,532 (2016-17 return) + £630 (2017-18 return) = £2,162

Tees Valley

2017

£1,083 (2017-18 return)

West Midlands

2017

£4,318 (2017-18 return)

West of England

2017

£1,534 (2017-18 return)

Link to the 17-18 data (attached):

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787871/RO6_2017-18_data_by_LA_-_revised.xlsx

Link to the 16-17 data (attached):

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659779/RO6_2016-17_data_by_LA.xlsx


Written Question
Combined Authorities
Wednesday 22nd May 2019

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 7 May (HL Deb, col 1140), with regard to combined authorities in England with directly elected mayors (1) what powers those authorities have in common, (2) what powers are specific to individual combined authorities or to groups of combined authorities, (3) what are the dates of the next elections for each mayor, and (4) what was the turnout in each combined authority in the most recent election for each directly elected mayor.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1) All eight mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) in England - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North of Tyne, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West of England and West Midlands- have the following functions in common:

  • Integrated transport functions
  • Bus improvement powers including bus franchising
  • Economic development and regeneration powers
  • Power to borrow for transport functions

They also all have a power of competence over areas where they have had functions conferred. In the case of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and West of England this is the General Power of Competence that principal local authorities have.

2) Each MCA has a different set of functions conferred on them, reflecting the bespoke nature of devolution deals as shown below:

  • Power to raise a precept on council tax to fund mayoral powers - all MCAs except West of England.
  • Power to pay grant - all MCAs except Sheffield City Region.
  • Power to establish Mayoral Development Corporations - all MCAs, apart from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and Sheffield City Region
  • Power to borrow for any combined authority function - all MCAs except North of Tyne and Sheffield City Region
  • Adult education functions -all MCAs except North of Tyne and Sheffield City Region
  • Homes England powers around regeneration - all MCAs except Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Tees Valley and Sheffield City Region.
  • Power to raise a business rates supplement - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. Liverpool City Region, West of England and West Midlands.
  • Strategic planning powers - Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West of England
  • Police & Crime Commissioner functions - exclusive to Greater Manchester.
  • Fire & Rescue Authority - exclusive to Greater Manchester
  • Public health functions - exclusive to Greater Manchester
  • Powers in relation to combined authority roads, as defined in legislation - exclusive to West Midlands.

3) The dates for the next mayoral election in each MCA are as follows:

7 May 2020: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands

6 May 2021: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West of England

5 May 2022: Sheffield City Region

2 May 2024: North of Tyne

4) The turnout for the inaugural mayoral election in each combined authority is as follows:

4 May 2017:

  • Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - a turnout of 33.57%
  • Greater Manchester - a turnout of 28.93%
  • Liverpool City Region - a turnout of 26.1%
  • Tees Valley - a turnout of 21.31%
  • West of England - a turnout of 29.72%
  • West Midlands - a turnout of 26.7%

3 May 2018

  • Sheffield City Region - a turnout of 25.82%

2 May 2019

  • North of Tyne - a turnout of 32.3%