Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of which local authorities have the lowest proportion of individuals with acceptable identification as required by their proposals for mandatory voter ID.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As legislation is brought forward to enable the national roll out of voter identification, appropriate impact assessments, which include information on costs, will be provided for Parliament in the normal way.
Further information on photographic identification ownership for voting can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many individuals do not possess acceptable identification as required by their proposals for mandatory voter ID.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As legislation is brought forward to enable the national roll out of voter identification, appropriate impact assessments, which include information on costs, will be provided for Parliament in the normal way.
Further information on photographic identification ownership for voting can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase funding to local authorities as part of their proposals for mandatory voter ID.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As legislation is brought forward to enable the national roll out of voter identification, appropriate impact assessments, which include information on costs, will be provided for Parliament in the normal way.
Further information on photographic identification ownership for voting can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to estimate the cost to local authorities of their proposals for mandatory voter ID.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As legislation is brought forward to enable the national roll out of voter identification, appropriate impact assessments, which include information on costs, will be provided for Parliament in the normal way.
Further information on photographic identification ownership for voting can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the spending limits for candidates standing for (1) local authority, (2) mayoral, and (3) Parliamentary, elections in the UK.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government uprated spending limits for candidates standing for local authority elections in England in December 2020.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statements laid on 3 December 2020 from the Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution, and Lord True, it is the Government’s intention to review party and candidate spending limits for all other polls (within the legislative competence of the UK Government) this year.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to prevent political parties and election candidates from issuing leaflets that pretend to be documents from official sources.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Electoral law already provides that printed election literature by parties and candidates in a regulated election period must include an imprint. The Government will be extending this provision to digital materials, following recent consultations.
More broadly, free speech in a democracy often results in robust and lively debate. Critical comment, however presented, is an important check and balance on proposals by governments and municipal administrations to increase taxes on the people.
When the content and context of political argument is contested, the best remedy is further debate in an independent free press, rather than state vetting and censorship of political comment. We should then trust the people to make their own judgements on the merits of the case at the ballot box.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for deferring the elections due to take place on 6 May until later in the year.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Democracy should not be cancelled because of covid. The Government has confirmed that the set of local and Police and Crime Commissioner elections scheduled for May will go ahead, and made a firm commitment that the Government will support the sector to deliver them.
The Government has published a clear Delivery Plan for the May elections, setting out how the Government will support local elections teams to deliver effective polls that are covid-secure for voters and staff.
Further guidance for all those involved in the elections will be available in due course and well in advance of the polls.
To support the smooth running of the Police and Crime Commissioner and local elections, there will be an estimated £92 million of government funding that will be provided to Returning Officers and local authorities for the elections. Of this, £31 million is an uplift to address costs associated with making the polls covid-secure.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for using postal votes only for the elections due to take place on 6 May.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Democracy should not be cancelled because of covid. The Government has confirmed that the set of local and Police and Crime Commissioner elections scheduled for May will go ahead, and made a firm commitment that the Government will support the sector to deliver them.
The Government has published a clear Delivery Plan for the May elections, setting out how the Government will support local elections teams to deliver effective polls that are covid-secure for voters and staff.
Further guidance for all those involved in the elections will be available in due course and well in advance of the polls.
To support the smooth running of the Police and Crime Commissioner and local elections, there will be an estimated £92 million of government funding that will be provided to Returning Officers and local authorities for the elections. Of this, £31 million is an uplift to address costs associated with making the polls covid-secure.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to postpone the elections scheduled for 6 May.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Primary legislation states that the elections will go ahead in May 2021.
We continue to work closely with the electoral and public health bodies to resolve challenges and ensure everyone will be able to cast their vote safely and securely - and in a way of their choosing.
The Government is also bringing forward additional measures to extend the ability to appoint a proxy, so that those that are affected by Covid-19 in the days before the poll are still able to make their voice heard.
Guidance will be published in good time ahead of the polls and this matter will be kept under review. The House will be kept updated.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of raising the recordable and reportable donation thresholds for registered political parties in the UK.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to PQ HL9043 on 26 October 2020.