Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to provide a National Insurance number when registering for a postal vote.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 21147 on 9 January 2025.
The Government has no plans to remove either requirement.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to renew postal vote applications every three years.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 21147 on 9 January 2025.
The Government has no plans to remove either requirement.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to remove the requirement to present voter ID at polling stations.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As our manifesto made clear, the government will address the inconsistencies in the voter identification policy so that all legitimate electors have the opportunity to vote. We are continuing to assess and review the policy and if any further changes are found to be necessary or appropriate, we will bring forward proposals for them in due course.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to revert the voting system for (a) mayoral and (b) Police and Crime Commissioner elections to the supplementary vote system.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
With regards to Mayoral elections, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 20691 on 19 December 2024.
The Government also has no plans at this time to change the voting system for Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in levels of retail and commercial units that are vacant in (a) Chester-le-Street, (b) Stanley and (c) England.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is committed to revitalise town centres and stimulate economic growth by addressing persistent vacancy rates in town centres like Chester-le-Street and Stanley. High Street Rental Auctions, which came into effect in December 2024, give local authorities in England the power to auction the lease of commercial high street property that has been vacant for longer than 12 months in a 24-month period.
The government also plans to introduce a new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets through the English Devolution Bill. This will allow local communities to revitalise important assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces, which can help to eliminate the impact of vacant premises.
Using these powers, and working in partnership with the North East Combined Authority and Durham County Council, will help to deliver a Local Growth Plan, supporting town centres in the North East by driving inclusive economic growth.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to regenerate town centres (a) in Chester-le-Street, (b) in Stanley and (c) elsewhere.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is committed to delivering a five-step plan to support high streets and town centres across the country, including in Chester-le-Street and Stanley. We will tackle anti-social behaviour with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs, roll out banking hubs, replace business rates with a new system of business property taxation, stamp out late payments and give communities a strong new ‘right to buy’ beloved community assets to revamp high streets and end the blight of empty premises.
The Government will also work with local partners in the North East to deliver economic growth, supporting local town centres. We will work with the North East Combined Authority on a Local Growth Plan, which will be both locally owned and aligned with the national Industrial Strategy. This is part of our plan to move power out of Westminster and put it in the hands of those with the greatest stake in our country’s future.