Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have in place to ensure that the beliefs of different faiths are respected.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our country is strengthened by individuals of different faiths and beliefs, and the valuable contribution they make to our communities. I regularly meet leaders and representatives of major faiths and beliefs, and in the first six months in my role, I am proud to have engaged with all faith groups in the UK. The insights of faith and belief groups play an important role in shaping policies that promote inclusivity, understanding, and respect across our society.
Departmental officials also hold strong relationships with many faith and belief representatives, as interfaith practitioners.
This government also recognises and respects the importance of the various festivals commemorated by our different faiths. These are marked through attendance at events and receptions, and on the department’s social media channels.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many registered electors were not allowed to vote in the elections on 2 May due to not having acceptable photo identification.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Electoral Commission is the independent electoral regulator and will be providing their analysis of the running of the May polls 2024. This will include the reporting of the number of individuals turned away. We anticipate publication of their interim report in early July.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authorities to increase the amount of land made available for food allotments in England.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government recognises how important allotments and other open spaces are for local people and have introduced a range of new powers and opportunities for local planning authorities to promote healthy and safe communities, including allotment provision and access to healthier food.
Our Green Infrastructure Framework clearly sets out that opportunities to provide new allotments and community orchards should be considered at the earliest stages of a development proposal. Furthermore, our Community Right to Bid policy, gave communities the right to nominate a local allotment site to be listed as an asset of community value.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 15 December (HL3951), whether this advice regarding the flying of flags of countries other than the UK or Ukraine also applies to (1) Northern Ireland, (2) Scotland, and (3) Wales.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) apply to England only. The flying of flags by local authorities in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administrations and for individual local authorities to determine in accordance with any applicable legislation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the requirement in the Voter Identification Regulations 2022 for electors to possess photo identification in order to vote, how electors participating using a postal vote will be required to prove their identity when completing their ballot paper.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
There are longstanding security measures focused on the security of the postal voting process, including requiring postal voters to provide personal identifiers at the time of applying for a postal vote and which are checked at the time of a poll. In addition, other measures are available to electoral administrators can apply around the process to ensure security, such as monitoring numbers of postal voters and locations for unusual activity.
The Elections Act 2022 introduces additional safeguards against the potential abuse of postal voting including extending the secrecy provisions, which had previously only applied in polling stations, to postal votes and therefore making anyone coercing someone completing a postal vote liable to further criminal sanctions. The Act also requires those registered for a postal vote to re-apply for a postal vote every three years; imposes a ban on political campaigners handling postal votes (with some limited exceptions), supported by the creation of a new offence; and provides a power to limit the number of postal votes that a person may hand-in to a polling station or to the Returning Officer on behalf of others.
The Elections Act 2022 introduces an identity check at the point of application for a postal vote, whereby an applicant will need to provide their National Insurance number (or other documents or attestations where the applicant cannot provide a national insurance number) to be checked against HMG records. This process mirrors the current practice for Register to Vote.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require voters to show identification at polling stations at elections beyond those in 2023.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The voter identification measures set out in the Elections Act 2022 will come into effect for the scheduled election in May 23 for all types of poll set out in the Act, except for UK Parliamentary general elections, which will require voter identification from October 2023.
A wide range of identification documents will be accepted at polling stations and will not be limited to only passports and driving licenses. A full list of acceptable identification can be found here. Cabinet Office research shows that 98% of electors already own a photographic document (in date or expired) that could be accepted under our proposals. Moreover, any registered elector who does not possess any of these forms of identification will be able to apply to their local authority to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge. An equivalent will also be available for electors registered to vote anonymously. This will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.
We will continue to work with local authorities, charities and civil society organisations to ensure that voter identification works for everybody. The Electoral Commission will also deliver a comprehensive and targeted communications campaign to raise awareness for the changes to the requirements at the polling station.
The estimated cost of additional poll clerks can be found in the published Impact Assessment here.
If an elector applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document is not able to provide a photograph themselves, their Electoral Registration Officer will be able to take a photograph for them. Funding will be provided to local authorities to purchase cameras if required.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of employing an additional polling clerk tasked with ensuring that the photo identification requirements are satisfied at each of the polling stations in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The voter identification measures set out in the Elections Act 2022 will come into effect for the scheduled election in May 23 for all types of poll set out in the Act, except for UK Parliamentary general elections, which will require voter identification from October 2023.
A wide range of identification documents will be accepted at polling stations and will not be limited to only passports and driving licenses. A full list of acceptable identification can be found here. Cabinet Office research shows that 98% of electors already own a photographic document (in date or expired) that could be accepted under our proposals. Moreover, any registered elector who does not possess any of these forms of identification will be able to apply to their local authority to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge. An equivalent will also be available for electors registered to vote anonymously. This will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.
We will continue to work with local authorities, charities and civil society organisations to ensure that voter identification works for everybody. The Electoral Commission will also deliver a comprehensive and targeted communications campaign to raise awareness for the changes to the requirements at the polling station.
The estimated cost of additional poll clerks can be found in the published Impact Assessment here.
If an elector applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document is not able to provide a photograph themselves, their Electoral Registration Officer will be able to take a photograph for them. Funding will be provided to local authorities to purchase cameras if required.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that those on low incomes who do not possess a passport or driving licence are (1) provided with, or (2) supported to acquire, relevant photo identification in order to participate in future elections.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The voter identification measures set out in the Elections Act 2022 will come into effect for the scheduled election in May 23 for all types of poll set out in the Act, except for UK Parliamentary general elections, which will require voter identification from October 2023.
A wide range of identification documents will be accepted at polling stations and will not be limited to only passports and driving licenses. A full list of acceptable identification can be found here. Cabinet Office research shows that 98% of electors already own a photographic document (in date or expired) that could be accepted under our proposals. Moreover, any registered elector who does not possess any of these forms of identification will be able to apply to their local authority to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge. An equivalent will also be available for electors registered to vote anonymously. This will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.
We will continue to work with local authorities, charities and civil society organisations to ensure that voter identification works for everybody. The Electoral Commission will also deliver a comprehensive and targeted communications campaign to raise awareness for the changes to the requirements at the polling station.
The estimated cost of additional poll clerks can be found in the published Impact Assessment here.
If an elector applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document is not able to provide a photograph themselves, their Electoral Registration Officer will be able to take a photograph for them. Funding will be provided to local authorities to purchase cameras if required.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will meet the cost for those who require an up-to-date and recognisable photograph for the purposes of photo identification to vote in future elections.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The voter identification measures set out in the Elections Act 2022 will come into effect for the scheduled election in May 23 for all types of poll set out in the Act, except for UK Parliamentary general elections, which will require voter identification from October 2023.
A wide range of identification documents will be accepted at polling stations and will not be limited to only passports and driving licenses. A full list of acceptable identification can be found here. Cabinet Office research shows that 98% of electors already own a photographic document (in date or expired) that could be accepted under our proposals. Moreover, any registered elector who does not possess any of these forms of identification will be able to apply to their local authority to obtain a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge. An equivalent will also be available for electors registered to vote anonymously. This will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.
We will continue to work with local authorities, charities and civil society organisations to ensure that voter identification works for everybody. The Electoral Commission will also deliver a comprehensive and targeted communications campaign to raise awareness for the changes to the requirements at the polling station.
The estimated cost of additional poll clerks can be found in the published Impact Assessment here.
If an elector applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document is not able to provide a photograph themselves, their Electoral Registration Officer will be able to take a photograph for them. Funding will be provided to local authorities to purchase cameras if required.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what permission local authorities need to fly the (1) Ukrainian flag, (2) UN flag, (3) EU flag, and (4) flag of any country other than the UK or Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The display of flags in England is controlled under The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements)(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended). Certain flags, as specified under Class H of Schedule 1 to the Regulations, do not require advertisement consent. These include the national flags of any country and the flags of the Commonwealth, the United Nations or any other international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member.