Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Clegg and Julie Elliott

Wednesday 4th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 4 December.

[The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)]

I have been asked to reply—[Interruption.] As I was saying, Mr Speaker, I have been asked to reply on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, who has been visiting China.

I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in offering our condolences to the family and friends of those who were tragically killed following the helicopter crash in Glasgow on Friday evening. Our thoughts must also be with those who are injured at this difficult time. I visited the site yesterday and was able to see the recovery operation at first hand. On behalf of the whole House, I pay tribute to the outstanding response and bravery of all the emergency services involved in what were extremely demanding circumstances.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Julie Elliott]

May I associate myself with the comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister after the very tragic events in Glasgow?

Under the Government’s proposed new formula for allocating health funding, Sunderland is facing cuts of £42 million. Does the Deputy Prime Minister think it is right to divert NHS funding from areas with higher levels of need to areas with lower levels of need, and how does he think that will impact on the winter crisis?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

As the hon. Lady knows, NHS England is now in a position to make some of those big judgments—[Interruption.] We are having questions on what money goes where in the NHS from the party that, if I understand it correctly, still does not agree with our protection of the NHS budget. We are putting £12.7 billion extra into the NHS. I would be interested to know whether the Labour party agrees with that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Clegg and Julie Elliott

Tuesday 15th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of the potential effect on levels of voter registration of not creating a legal offence of failure to return an individual electoral registration request.

[The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)]

As I have explained, we believe that individual electoral registration is the right thing to do. Her party does as well, as it was in her party’s manifesto. Preparations were made under the previous Government to introduce it. We brought it forward slightly and, as the Minister and I have explained, we are taking meticulous steps to ensure that it does not lead to a decline in overall rates of registration.

[Julie Elliott]

The Electoral Commissioner says that with these changes more than 10 million people will fall off the register. How will the Deputy Prime Minister protect people in urban areas such as mine of Sunderland Central from disfranchisement?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady must be careful not to misrepresent what the Electoral Commissioner said. It did not say that this system will lead to a drop-off on that scale. [Interruption.] No, the Electoral Commissioner clarified the point in subsequent publications. The Electoral Commission said:

“We would not want to see a move away from the current approach—where electoral registration though not compulsory is regarded as an important civic duty”.

We are maintaining that civic duty; we are maintaining the offence of failing to provide that information when asked for it; and we are seeking to address the Electoral Commission’s specific concern about the opt-out system.