Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of political parties that would be able to raise and spend more than the present national limit on party expenditure in a general election, based on expenditure in general elections since 2000; and which parties that includes.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Election spending limits are fixed in absolute terms. This requires them to be updated by inflation from time to time. The underlying primary legislation passed by Parliament explicitly provides for this.
In 2020 government officials consulted with representatives of the Local Government Association, political groups, the Parliamentary Parties panel and other political parties on uprating spending limits at reserved polls. Naturally a range of views were received during these consultations, however, it is for these groups to make public their position on this matter, not the Government.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statements published on 3 December 2020 HCWS618; HLWS610 (attached) the Government intends to review both candidate and party spending limits, at reserved polls with a view to uprating them by inflation. We cannot, however, comment on any specific figures until the necessary review has concluded.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the rate of inflation between 2000 to 2022; and what assessment they have made of the effect on national spending limits for a registered political party contesting every constituency in Great Britain of increasing the present limit by the rate of inflation.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Election spending limits are fixed in absolute terms. This requires them to be updated by inflation from time to time. The underlying primary legislation passed by Parliament explicitly provides for this.
In 2020 government officials consulted with representatives of the Local Government Association, political groups, the Parliamentary Parties panel and other political parties on uprating spending limits at reserved polls. Naturally a range of views were received during these consultations, however, it is for these groups to make public their position on this matter, not the Government.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statements published on 3 December 2020 HCWS618; HLWS610 (attached) the Government intends to review both candidate and party spending limits, at reserved polls with a view to uprating them by inflation. We cannot, however, comment on any specific figures until the necessary review has concluded.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 10 March 2021 (HL13610), what representations they received from (1) the Local Government Association, (2) political groups, (3) the Parliamentary Parties Panel, and (4) other political parties, in 2020 on the issue of uprating spending limits at reserved polls; and in particular, which political parties expressed support for increasing such spending limits for national elections in line with inflation since 2000.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Election spending limits are fixed in absolute terms. This requires them to be updated by inflation from time to time. The underlying primary legislation passed by Parliament explicitly provides for this.
In 2020 government officials consulted with representatives of the Local Government Association, political groups, the Parliamentary Parties panel and other political parties on uprating spending limits at reserved polls. Naturally a range of views were received during these consultations, however, it is for these groups to make public their position on this matter, not the Government.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statements published on 3 December 2020 HCWS618; HLWS610 (attached) the Government intends to review both candidate and party spending limits, at reserved polls with a view to uprating them by inflation. We cannot, however, comment on any specific figures until the necessary review has concluded.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to removing the means by which a voter at a polling station who finds that their name has already been crossed off the list of voters issued with ballot papers may then be given an extra ballot paper to ensure that their vote can be counted if appropriate.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Electoral Commission gathers and publishes data on all major elections. Their report on the 2019 General Election included figures on how many tendered ballot papers were issued. This information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have requested, if any, from (1) returning officers, and (2) the Electoral Commission, regarding the number of people arriving at polling stations in elections in the last five years who have had to claim a tendered ballot paper; and what assessment they have they requested as to how many of those people had to ask for an extra ballot paper as someone else had already claimed their vote.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Electoral Commission gathers and publishes data on all major elections. Their report on the 2019 General Election included figures on how many tendered ballot papers were issued. This information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support patients to access (1) new, and (2) cost-effective, medicines as quickly as possible through robust oversight of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) processes.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s capacity to continue producing respected clinical guidance, based on up-to-date medical evidence, in order to support the best health outcomes for all patients.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to achieve its core purpose of improving health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision making.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to provide a greater police presence at polling stations for different types of elections or votes.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The police assess the needs for security at polling stations in their area and respond accordingly.
Planning and oversight of election issues during campaigns is overseen by a NPCC lead and a network of local Electionco-ordinators, who work closely with the candidates and others involved in the process, to ensure the democratic process.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people aged under 25 and living in London who have neither a passport nor a photographic driving licence.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Cabinet Office commissioned a nationally representative survey in 2021 to explore photographic ID ownership of residents eligible to vote in Great Britain. The list of identification accepted for voting purposes will not be limited to UK passports or driving licences and will include a broad range of documents already in use, such as various concessionary travel passes, Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) cards and photocard parking permits issued as part of the Blue Badge scheme.
The survey estimates that 99% of respondents from London (with the 95% confidence interval placing this estimate between 97.8%-100%) and 99% of 18-24 year olds (with the 95% confidence interval placing this estimate between 97.5%-100%) hold at least one of the forms of photographic identification accepted under the planned policy.
Further information on photographic identification ownership for voting can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-photographic-id-ownership-in-great-britain.