Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reinstate the EnAble Fund for Elected Office to encourage disabled people to participate as candidates in the May 2021 elections.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office.
The Government has been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.
Ministers wrote to the main Parties twice in 2019 to ask them how they intend to support their candidates on a long-term basis.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to offer (1) assistance, or (2) exemption from the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic, to deaf candidates in the May 2021 elections who are not able to contact electors by phone.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Campaigning is an essential part of democracy. Voters deserve to be well informed before going to the polls and there must be a level playing field for candidates.
Many forms of campaigning can be carried out without increased face-to-face contact, including online campaigning, and delivery of leaflets by post or other commercial delivery services. The Government has already uprated election expenses for council candidates, which will provide greater opportunity for such candidates to campaign in this way.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many media officer posts there were in each Government Department in July (1) 2019, and (2) 2020; and what plans they have to (a) increase, and (b) reduce, the number of those posts in the next 12 months.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Individual Government departments are responsible for their own staffing decisions.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK to stand and vote in local elections before the local government elections in England and Wales in 2021.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The May local elections were postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19.
In that context, the UK Government can confirm that resident EU citizens will remain able to vote and stand in the rescheduled May 2021 local elections in England (including London Assembly elections) and the May 2021 Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. Those elected to office will be able to serve their full term and this will also apply to those elected before 2021.
The franchise for local elections are devolved in Scotland and Wales.
The UK Government has been clear that the issue of local voting rights of EU citizens living in the UK needs to be considered alongside the rights and interests of British expats living abroad. The Government has signed bilateral voting rights agreements with Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg in 2019, and with Poland in May 2020. We continue to work on further bilateral voting rights agreements with other EU member states.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the appointment on 12 May of four Non-Executive Directors to the Cabinet Office was subject to the requirements of (1) the Ministerial Code, and (2) Civil Service open competition.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Section 3.5 of the Ministerial code sets out the requirements for departmental Boards. The appointment of these members met those requirements.
Non-Executive Board members are not civil servants. Non-Executive Board members for departments are not subject to the requirements set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments for regulated positions. However, in line with best practice, the appointment process of these Non Executives was open and transparent, and met the principles set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the responses by Earl Howe on 29 January (HL Deb, col 1438) and 12 February (HL Deb, col 2264) and reports that they have changed their public position as to whether there have been successful examples of Russian disinformation affecting elections in the UK, what recent assessment they have made of evidence of Russian interference in the (1) 2016 EU referendum, (2) 2017 General Election, and (3) 2019 General Election.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
It is and always will be an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes. As previously stated, the government examines all aspects of the electoral process following an election, including foreign interference. That work is ongoing following the December 2019 General Election.
The Government saw no evidence of successful interference in the 2016 EU referendum or the 2017 General Election.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any copy of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2020 provided to the Government for official purposes has been given to the Conservative Party in order to support party fundraising.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
No. I am helpfully informed that the Conservative Party commercially purchased a copy of the Act at a retail price. The Act, which facilitates our departure from the European Union, and delivers on the wishes of the British people, is available from all good bookshops.
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident in other EU Member States, for the June 2017 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.
The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident outside the UK, for the June 2017 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.
The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports
Asked by: Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident in other EU Member States, for the EU referendum on 23 June 2016; and what proportion of them voted.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.
The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports