Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
What plans his Department has to introduce a national identity card.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Government has no plans to introduce national identity cards.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died (a) with covid-19 symptoms and (b) from covid-19 to date.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) average age and (b) median age is of people who have been reported of dying as a result of covid-19.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2017 to Question 112666, on Local Government: Elections, whether Bolton Council expressed an interest to his Department about participating in the Voter ID pilots for the May 2018 local elections; and if he will place details of conversations and copies of correspondence his Department had with Bolton Council regarding that pilot in the library.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
We are currently considering a request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, for related information.
On the one hand, the Government needs to take account of the public interest of making its decisions as transparently as possible. But on the other hand, we must also ensure policy decisions are informed by a free and frank exchange of views about all available options, and a clear understanding of their implications.
I will ask officials to write to the Hon member when a decision has been made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the reasons for Bolton Council declining to participate in the voter ID pilot for the May 2018 local elections.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
We are currently considering a request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, for related information.
On the one hand, the Government needs to take account of the public interest of making its decisions as transparently as possible. But on the other hand, we must also ensure policy decisions are informed by a free and frank exchange of views about all available options, and a clear understanding of their implications.
I will ask officials to write to the Hon member when a decision has been made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will work with local authorities to ensure that none of the voter ID pilots taking place in May 2018 accept only a passport or driving license as valid identification.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The voter ID pilot schemes are part of a comprehensive programme of reform that will enhance public confidence in our elections, and strengthen electoral integrity.
It has always been Cabinet Office’s view that voter ID pilots will not disenfranchise any legitimate voter and that piloting voter ID with local authorities is the best way to ensure successful implementation nationally. Local authorities best understand the needs of their electors and each pilot has reflected its preference for the form and combination of ID. No-one will need to purchase identification documents to be able to vote in the pilots scheduled for May 2018 and the valid identification will not be limited to a passport or driving licence. The pilot local authorities and the Electoral Commission continue to work closely with the Cabinet Office to ensure that this is possible and that every eligible voice can be heard.
We want to ensure the system is safe and secure. It is not acceptable that anyone should be disenfranchised from the process.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of eligible people not on the electoral register in (a) England and (b) Bolton West constituency since 2010?
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Information regarding the total number of unregistered people of voting age is not held by the Government. Only totals for the number of registered electors are held, and these can be accessed through the Office For National Statistics website. It should be noted, however, that registration levels have increased at every General Election since 2005, and the register used for the 2017 General Election was the largest in our history, standing at 46.9 million entries. This is undoubtedly due, in large part, to the introduction of the Government’s Register to Vote website, which has delivered great benefits to electors, making registering to vote simpler and more accessible than ever before. It is the Government’s intention to build on this success by publishing a Democratic Engagement Plan in December, which will have the ambition of making the General Election in 2022 the most inclusive to date.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which local authorities expressed interest in conducting a voter ID pilot in polling stations for the May 2018 local elections but subsequently decided not to proceed with that pilot.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The opportunity to pilot voter ID in May 2018 was offered to all local authorities in Great Britain and Woking, Gosport, Bromley, Swindon and Watford have committed to do so. In addition, Tower Hamlets will be piloting measures to improve the integrity of the postal vote process. In September 2017 we announced that Slough would also be piloting voter ID however it subsequently voted to withdraw from the pilot.
While working with those that expressed interest over the following months the Cabinet Office and the local authorities themselves agreed on the extent of their participation, including their continuation to a live pilot or as a supportive reference authority. Participation is voluntary and a matter for each local authority
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government is making on trialling new methods of voter identification.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The voter ID pilot schemes are part of a comprehensive programme of reform that will enhance public confidence in our elections, and strengthen electoral integrity. The opportunity to pilot voter ID in May 2018 was offered to all local authorities in Great Britain and Woking, Gosport, Bromley, Swindon and Watford have committed to do so. We are working with each pilot authority to identify the forms of identification they want to use to meet their needs. In addition, Tower Hamlets will be piloting measures to improve the integrity of the postal vote process. Each authority is working collaboratively with the Cabinet Office on the design of their pilot with expert advice from the Electoral Commission and Association of Electoral Administrators. Equality impact assessments are being undertaken to ensure that the needs of all voters are understood.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people in Bolton took part in National Citizen Service in 2016; and where that borough ranks in numbers of children taking part in the scheme nationally.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
774 young people from Bolton participated in the National Citizen Service programme in 2016. Bolton ranked 16th out of the 152 best boroughs for national participant numbers in 2016.