First elected: 5th May 2005
Left House: 19th December 2023 (Recall Petition)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Peter Bone, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
A Bill to amend retained EU law relating to compulsory insurance for the use of motor vehicles; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to establish, and make provision about, the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 20th December 2018 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to impose duties on the Prime Minister relating to accountability to the House of Commons; to require the Prime Minister to be available to answer questions in that House on at least two occasions during a sitting week except in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the restructuring of urgent care facilities in North Northamptonshire; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to amend the House of Commons Administration Act 1978 to provide that the Prime Minister may only nominate as Leader of the House of Commons a Member of that House who is from the governing party and is elected by a system in which all Members of the House of Commons may participate; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about penalties for human trafficking offences.
A Bill to make provision for the carrying out of the functions of the Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister, or a person temporarily carrying out the functions of the Prime Minister, is incapacitated; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to set up a commission to make arrangements for debates between leaders of political parties during a General Election; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit charging for car parking at NHS Hospitals for patients and visitors; to make provision for NHS Hospitals to be exempt from business rates; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to abolish the Electoral Commission; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to allow a person who is age 18 or older on the day of a parliamentary or local election to stand as candidate; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to create a Business of the House Commission to regulate the timetabling of business in the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to abolish the BBC licence fee and make the BBC a subscription service; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require asylum seekers who have arrived in the United Kingdom from a safe country to be immediately returned to that country; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the carrying out of the functions of the Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister, or a person temporarily carrying out the functions of the Prime Minister, is incapacitated; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to prohibit persons from being registered to vote in Parliamentary elections at more than one address; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the cessation of subsidies for the development of wind farms.
A Bill to make provision to exclude from the United Kingdom foreign nationals found guilty of a criminal offence committed in the United Kingdom.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for appointment of a Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister is temporarily or permanently incapacitated.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to disqualify for membership of the House of Commons any person who holds the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, Deputy Chief Whip, Government Whip, Assistant Government Whip, Chief Opposition Whip or Assistant Opposition Whip; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit persons from being registered to vote in Parliamentary elections at more than one address; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the carrying out of the functions of the Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister, or a person temporarily carrying out the functions of the Prime Minister, is incapacitated; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to impose duties on the Prime Minister relating to accountability to the House of Commons; to require the Prime Minister to be available to answer questions in that House on at least two occasions during a sitting week except in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about penalties for human trafficking offences.
A Bill to make provision for the creation of secure safe houses for children that have been subject to human trafficking; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit charging for car parking at NHS Hospitals for patients and visitors; to make provision for NHS Hospitals to be exempt from business rates; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to set up a commission to make arrangements for debates between leaders of political parties during a General Election; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to abolish the Electoral Commission; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about meeting the needs of people providing care and of people receiving care; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to create a Business of the House Commission to regulate the timetabling of business in the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for an application to the Council of Europe to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and the introduction of a British Bill of Rights.
A Bill to abolish the BBC licence fee and make the BBC a subscription service; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit persons from being registered to vote in Parliamentary elections at more than one address; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the creation of secure safe houses for children that have been subject to human trafficking; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit persons from being registered to vote in Parliamentary elections at more than one address; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to impose duties on the Prime Minister relating to accountability to the House of Commons; to require the Prime Minister to be available to answer questions in that House on at least two occasions during a sitting week except in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to amend the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to make provision about the number and size of parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit charging for car parking at NHS Hospitals for patients and visitors; to make provision for NHS Hospitals to be exempt from business rates; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to set up a commission to make arrangements for debates between leaders of political parties during a General Election; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require children under 16 to wear a safety helmet when riding a bicycle on a public highway; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the restructuring of urgent care facilities in North Northamptonshire; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to impose duties relating to the completion of the Isham Bypass; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require local authorities to operate a committee system of internal governance; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the creation of secure safe houses for children that have been subject to human trafficking; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to allow a person who is age 18 or older on the day of a parliamentary or local election to stand as a candidate; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to create an independent body to monitor broadcasting impartiality at the British Broadcasting Corporation; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for an annual national public holiday on the Friday nearest to 23 June; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require drones to be marked and registered and to broadcast certain information electronically; to place restrictions on drone flight near aerodromes; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to prohibit charging for car parking at NHS Hospitals for patients and visitors; to make provision for NHS Hospitals to be exempt from business rates; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to set up a commission to make arrangements for debates between leaders of political parties during a General Election; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to impose duties on the Prime Minister relating to accountability to the House of Commons; to require the Prime Minister to be available to answer questions in that House on at least two occasions during a sitting week except in specified circumstances; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to impose a limit on the level of international development assistance at an amount equal to the European Union average of equivalent expenditure; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Department for International Development and the Government Equalities Office; to make provision for the abolition of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, Scotland Office and Northern Ireland Office; to establish a Department for the Nations of the United Kingdom in their place; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision about the restructuring of urgent care facilities in North Northamptonshire; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to create a Business of the House Commission to regulate the timetabling of business in the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for a national public holiday on 23 June or the subsequent weekday when 23 June falls at a weekend; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to create an independent body to monitor broadcasting impartiality at the British Broadcasting Corporation; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the merging of the Nene Valley and Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to impose duties relating to the completion of the Isham Bypass by 31 December 2020; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to establish a review of pension arrangements for women affected by changes made by the Pensions Act 1995 and the Pensions Act 2011; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to create a pilot licensing system in line with International Civil Aviation Organization standards; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about public awareness measures in respect of the symptoms of and screening for ovarian cancer; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to regulate the purchase and use of drones weighing 5 kilograms or more; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the creation of secure safe houses for children that have been subject to human trafficking; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require children under 16 to wear a safety helmet when riding a bicycle on a public highway; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to prohibit members of the House of Commons who do not take the oath from receiving parliamentary allowances; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to allow a person who is age 18 or older on the day of a parliamentary or local election to stand as a candidate; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Government to obtain, on withdrawal from the European Union, a payment from the European Union not less than 50 per cent of the United Kingdom’s net contributions to that institution; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Government to publish details of meetings between the Government Whips Office in the House of Commons and the corresponding offices of other political parties in the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide for 100 per cent retention of locally collected business rates; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the House of Commons Administration Act 1978 to provide that the Prime Minister may only nominate as Leader of the House of Commons a Member of that House chosen following an election held amongst all Members of the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the carrying out of the functions of the Prime Minister in the event that a Prime Minister, or a person temporarily carrying out the functions of the Prime Minister, is incapacitated; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require Her Majesty’s Government to notify the European Council by 31 March 2017 of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union.
A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and for its functions to be absorbed into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
A Bill to require for the NHS to provide information about ovarian cancer symptoms when informing women about the results of cervical smear tests; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit charging for car parking at NHS hospitals for patients and visitors.
A Bill to repeal Articles 21 and 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, EC Directive 2004/38/EC and EC Regulation 492/2011.
A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and its responsibilities to be allocated to other Departments of State.
A Bill to make provision for the privatisation of the British Broadcasting Corporation by providing shares in the Corporation to all licence fee payers.
A Bill to make provision for an application to the Council of Europe to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and the introduction of a British Bill of Rights.
A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and for its functions to be absorbed into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
A Bill to create a Business of the House Commission to regulate the timetabling of business in the House of Commons; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision for the privatisation of the British Broadcasting Corporation by providing shares in the Corporation to all licence fee payers.
A Bill to make provision for a presumption that religious institutions meet the public benefit test for charitable status.
A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and for its functions to be absorbed into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for foreign aid and development not to be linked to a specific percentage of Gross National Income, but to be set yearly, by Parliament, in relation to need.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress.
A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and its responsibilities to be allocated to other Departments of State.
A Bill to make provision for an application to the Council of Europe to withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights and to deport alleged terrorists subject to approval by the British courts.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for restrictions on the residence in the UK of Bulgarian and Romanian nationals to continue.
A Bill to make provision for a referendum on whether same sex marriage should be allowed.
A Bill to make provision for the cessation of subsidies for the development of wind farms.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Charities Act 2011 to treat all religious institutions as charities; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the United Kingdom to set Value Added Tax rates without regard to the rules set by the European Union
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the temporary withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the United Kingdom to establish immigration controls for European Union nationals independent of the European Union
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require each elector applying to register to vote to certify their entitlement to vote; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the holding of a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Common Fisheries Policy
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the abolition of the television licence fee; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require border control officers to stop and interview potential victims of trafficking notwithstanding entitlements under European Union law to free movement of persons; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide for tax relief on medical insurance premiums.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide immunity from prosecution or civil action for persons who have removed or attempted to remove snow from public places; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for all receipts printed in the United Kingdom to contain a figure for the total amount of tax paid on the goods and services purchased.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide that leave for members of the armed forces serving overseas should be calculated from the time an individual arrives back in the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
Road Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Mark Pawsey (Con)
Public Sector Exit Payments (Limitation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Desecration of War Memorials Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)
Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jim Shannon (DUP)
Free Trade (Education and Reporting) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Green Belt (Protection) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Coastal Path (Definition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Value Added Tax Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Student Loans (Debt Interest) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Principal Local Authorities (Grounds for Abolition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Local Authorities (Borrowing and Investment) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
National Health Service (Co-Funding and Co-Payment) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Public Sector Exit Payments (Limitation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Local Audit (Public Access to Documents) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Border Control Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Voter Registration Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
BBC Licence Fee (Civil Penalty) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Judicial Appointments and Retirements (Age Limits) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Electronic Cigarettes (Regulation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Benefits and Public Services (Restriction) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
International Development Assistance (Definition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Local Authorities (Removal of Council Tax Restrictions) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
The government is determined to close the gender pay gap, which is currently at 18.4%. A full assessment was published that set out the expected impact of new regulations which introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2016/245/pdfs/ukia_20160245_en.pdf.
The department recently published research on the action larger employers are taking to close the gender pay gaps within their organisations:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gender-pay-gap-employers-action-and-understanding.
The government is determined to close the gender pay gap, which is currently at 18.4%. Research commissioned by the Government Equalities Office indicates that the biggest driver of the gender pay gap is women’s reduced labour market participation.
The research can be accessed here: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/33083313/FULL_TEXT.PDF.
The government is determined to close the gender pay gap, which is currently at 18.4%. Research commissioned by the Government Equalities Office indicates that the biggest driver of the gender pay gap is women’s reduced labour market participation.
The research can be accessed here: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/33083313/FULL_TEXT.PDF.
The government is determined to closing the gender pay gap, which is currently at 18.4%.
The calculation of the national gender pay gap, based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, does not include employees whose earnings are affected by absence from work, such as through maternity leave. Such employees should therefore not artificially inflate the gender pay gap.
However, evidence suggests that more broadly, women’s reduced labour market participation is the biggest known driver of the gender pay gap, which is in part, a result of women taking on the bulk of caring responsibilities.
The UK has one of the most generous Maternity Leave offers in the world, and we have also introduced Shared Parental Leave in order to provide parents with more choice and flexibility in how they divide care between them in the first year of their child’s life.
We believe that each country has a unique business environment. We are aware that quotas have driven progress in representation of women in a number of countries such as Norway, France and Italy. However, in the UK we have made excellent progress using a voluntary, business-led approach; for example we have seen the number of women on FTSE 350 boards more than double since 2010. We also have only nine all male boards remaining in the FTSE 350, and none in the FTSE 100. This is why we support the work of the Hampton-Alexander review, which sets voluntary targets for FTSE 350 companies to have 33% women on their boards and in their senior leadership positions by 2020. Currently, we believe this is the most effective approach and want to work collaboratively with businesses to ensure that progress on this agenda continues. We will continue to keep this approach under review.
I have not had any such discussions. However, officials from the Government Equalities Office would be happy to discuss the reasonable adjustment requirements of the Equality Act 2010 with the Commission, if this would be helpful.
The UK has some of the strongest equality legislation and policies in the world. This will continue to be the case after we leave the EU.
Domestic equality policy has always been set by Governments in this country and this will remain so. Many of the policies that we have in place go beyond what is required by the EU. The Government Equalities Office will continue to follow an ambitious programme of work to ensure that everyone has a fair chance and that no one is discriminated against because of their background.
This data is publicly available and can be found on the ONS website in the ‘Balance of Payments, Quarter 2 (April to June) 2015’.
Spending Round 2013 set the Department’s budget for 2015-16, including efficiency savings. Details can be found via the link below.
Subsequently, on 4th June 2015, the Government announced further efficiency savings to be delivered in 2015-16. DECC’s contribution to that exercise was to find an addition £70M of efficiency savings.
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has had a number of recent discussions with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on energy policy.
In addition to its roles overseeing delivery of the referendum, supporting the work of Electoral Registration Officers in registering voters and helping the police and electoral administrators tackle allegations of electoral fraud, one of the Electoral Commission’s key objectives is to ensure the integrity and transparency for voters of campaign funding and spending at the EU referendum. Its role will be to register campaigners and regulate their funding and spending.
To ensure all campaigners know what the rules are, the Commission will actively engage with potential campaigners, publish guidance and provide an advice line. It will receive, analyse and publish information about the campaign funding and spending; ensuring this information is provided by campaigners on time and in line with the legal requirements. The Commission will also deal with potential breaches of the rules, including by the use of its enforcement and sanctioning powers where appropriate.
As part of its approach, the Commission will monitor campaigning. Using various sources, including the media and information brought to the Commission by campaigners and others, it will identify emerging issues and opportunities to offer advice and guidance to those it regulates or, if necessary, take enforcement action where the rules are not followed. The Commission will also refer to the information obtained through campaign monitoring when looking at financial information submitted by campaigners.
As of 31 August 2015, DECC employed 1,650 staff (headcount) of which 1,511 were permanent Civil Servants, Fixed Term Appointments, Short Term Appointments and Loans in from other Government Departments. The remaining 139 individuals include secondments, agency temps, contractors and consultants. The cost to the Department in 2014-15 was £103m.
As has been the practice under successive administrations, appropriate arrangements would be put in place.
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, meets the Foreign Secretary regularly on a whole range of issues. The Government has a clear mandate to improve Britain’s relationship with the rest of the European Union, and to reform the EU so that it creates jobs and increases living standards for all its citizens. The CBI and BCC have come out to say they support the reform agenda the PM is seeking to deliver. The Prime Minister is focused on success: he believes he can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 10 February during Deputy Prime Minister Oral Questions.
The Electoral Commission has published guidance for Returning Officers and people considering standing for election to local authorities in Great Britain which sets out the four possible qualifications to stand and be elected. These qualifications relate to candidate activity in the local authority area, rather than the specific ward in which they are standing. Candidates must meet at least one of the qualifications to be validly nominated.
One qualification is that the candidate’s principal or only place of work in the previous 12 months was in the local authority area. This enables those who work in the local authority area but do not necessarily live there, to qualify.
The Commission has advised that simply attending a school, college or university in the local authority area for the sole purpose of studying would not be sufficient grounds to qualify to stand for election under the principal or only place of work qualification, although an individual may meet one of the other qualification criteria. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that they are eligible and not that of the Returning Officer. In giving their consent to nomination, the candidate is confirming that they meet the qualifications to stand for election as stated in their nomination paper and are not disqualified.
We are not aware of any problem of EU nationals incorrectly being registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections in Corby, Kettering or Wellingborough.
The published electoral register is available for inspection by any person who wishes to do so. Where someone believes that an entry on the register is incorrect or that the franchise for that entry has been determined incorrectly they may make an objection to that entry to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
If the ERO has any concerns about an entry on the register, they may undertake a review of the application under the rules of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001.
The number of EU citizens registered to vote in local and EU parliamentary elections (as at 1 October 2014) for Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough are in the below table. The figure for England was at 17 February 2014. None of these electors are able to vote in a UK General Election.
Constituency/Locality | Number of EU electors registered to vote |
Corby Borough Council | 3,857 |
Kettering Borough Council | 2,091 |
Wellingborough Borough Council | 2,769 |
England | 1,410,710 |
The Government does not hold information on the exact number of EU nationals of voting age living in Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough or England. This is because there are citizens who are eligible to vote but do not register to do so.
EU citizens are only able to vote in local elections and European Parliamentary elections. Their entry on the electoral register has special marks - a “G” mark to indicate that they are registered to vote in local elections and a “K” mark once they have completed a declaration that states they wish to vote in EU parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom.
Exit is an all-of-government operation. Members of staff across the Law Officers’ Departments provide advice and analysis on EU Exit issues as required. The Law Officers’ Departments are working with officials across government to inform the Government’s understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.
The Prime Minister will lead our negotiations for leaving the EU. This will be supported on a day-to-day basis by the Department for Exiting the European Union, which will work very closely with other government departments, including the Attorney General’s Office, and a wide range of other interested parties.
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the oral question from the Hon. Member for Corby earlier today.
The Government is committed to keeping our elections secure and fit for the modern age. We keep electoral law, and the role and powers of the Electoral Commission, under review to ensure the effective operation of, and public confidence in, an electoral system that is secure, fair, modern and transparent.
This information is not held by the Cabinet Office.
Investigations were carried out by a range of public bodies in relation to organisations campaigning on both sides in the 2016 EU referendum. These include the Electoral Commission, National Crime Agency, Metropolitan Police and Information Commissioner’s Office.
The Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission is required to oversee the procedure for selecting candidates for appointment to the Electoral Commission in accordance with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (“PPERA”) 2000. Candidates that are put forward are subject to an Address in the House of Commons, and require approval by the Speaker of the House of Commons and Her Majesty the Queen. The Electoral Commission is independent of Government.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Coordination of the delivery of government business occurs through the Cabinet Committee system as set out in the Cabinet Manual. In the event the Prime Minister is unable to attend Cabinet or any of its Committees the Committees may proceed in her absence chaired by the next most senior minister in the order of precedence. In the event of the permanent incapacity of the Prime Minister, the appointment of a new Prime Minister is a matter for Her Majesty The Queen acting under the Royal Prerogative.
The Government believes that electoral fraud is unacceptable on any level. The Government’s response to Sir Eric Pickles’ review, Securing the ballot, sets out a comprehensive programme of reform for strengthening our electoral system. Sir Eric’s review identified a number of areas where the system could be tightened, and the Government’s response sets out a number of measures for tackling postal voting fraud.
For example, the Government intends to seek legislative opportunities to extend the provisions on ballot secrecy, and the offences already in place for voting in person, to postal voting. We will also carefully consider the practical implications of introducing a ban on the handling of postal ballot papers by campaigners. These and other measures outlined in the Government’s response are an important part of ensuring that we can build a democracy that works for everyone.
The Government is committed to tackling fraud and making our electoral process more secure. We have introduced and developed Individual Electoral Registration over the past two years to tighten up the registration process and recently welcomed Sir Eric Pickles’ report on his review into electoral fraud to which we are giving careful attention as an important step in looking at improvements to the voting process. The Government will publish its report in due course.
It is essential we put a stop to the immoral behaviour we have seen from some charities over the summer and rebuild people’s faith in giving to charity.
There will be a new, tougher fundraising regulator which will own and develop the fundraising code of conduct, have the power to stop fundraising campaigns if they are in breach of the rules, name and shame those who do not comply and refer cases to the Charity Commission. It will also establish a Fundraising Preference Service to enable people to reset their consent to receive charity fundraising requests.
We are also seeking reserve powers to mandate charities to register with the new fundraising regulator should this prove necessary.
Ofgem regulate investment by network companies in improving the electricity grid through the price control process. The Government welcomes Ofgem’s work to create a price control that will ready the grid for changes to electricity demand and supply needed for a secure, net zero system, including in rural areas. In the current electricity distribution network price control, they have set baseline funding at £22.2bn, including £3.1bn proposed for upgrades, which will improve the network in rural areas and support the expected uptake in electric vehicles, heat pumps and the connection of more local, low carbon generation.
The Government is providing sufficient financial support for the Historical Shortfall Scheme to proceed, and scheme payments have begun. We will also continue to work with Post Office Limited to ensure Postmasters whose convictions were overturned are fairly compensated.
There are over 11,600 post office branches in the UK, the largest retail network in the country.
Between 2010 and 2018, Government will have invested nearly £2 billion to modernise and sustain the Post Office. This has led to the most stable network for decades, but importantly our transformation of the network has delivered an extra 200,000 opening hours a week across the country and more than 4,100 branches are open on Sundays.
On 8 November the Government launched a public consultation on the network to understand what customers and small businesses expect from branches, and this will inform the government’s next state aid application for funding the Post Office.
My Department, along with Sport England and the Greater London Authority will be discussing the potential sale of Wembley stadium with the Football Association over the course of this month.
We will be seeking further detail on how such a deal would help the development of the grassroots game in this country and support more people to participate in sport.
The Government is hugely supportive of the NFL in London, and welcome the investment and economic benefits. The Government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, made a commitment to support new sports in the UK, including through greater links with the National Football League, with the aspiration that a new franchise might one day be based here.
This year marked ten years of London hosting the NFL International Series. Sell outs and the extra game this year show the appetite for NFL in the UK is growing. The NFL's executive vice president of international, Mark Waller, recently stated the NFL's ambition remains to bring a franchise to London by 2022.
Under the Communications Act 2003, as reflected in Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, all television and radio broadcasters licensed by Ofcom must ensure that their news output is duly accurate and duly impartial. Ofcom robustly enforces these obligations.
In 2016 it recorded three breaches of Rule 5.1, which requires due accuracy and due impartiality of news output. One breach was in relation to a radio service and two involved television services. Ofcom regularly publishes details of its content standards decisions, including breaches, on its website.
Tomorrow is this country’s first ever Local Charities Day, when we can celebrate the small, local charities that make such a difference to our communities. I have written to all Parliamentarians asking them to support Local Charities Day and DCMS Ministers will be visiting local charities.
The Government supports the work of UK Anti-Doping which works tirelessly to ensure athletes and sport are clean. Through testing programmes, intelligence sharing with law-enforcement agencies on supplying and trafficking, and its excellent athlete education initiatives, UKAD is one of the world's most highly regarded national anti-doping organisations.
My Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State is aware of the range of opinions that have been expressed over the future of BBC funding and the licence fee in particular. All aspects of the BBC are up for debate as part of the Charter Review. The Secretary of State is currently considering options for how this will run and will make an announcement in due course.
The Department takes the concerns raised by any individual or group seriously. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, the Department is currently receiving exceptionally high volumes of correspondence.
The Department is doing everything possible to ensure that it provides all colleagues and stakeholders with the most up to date and relevant information in response to their queries or concerns.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State said in his recent speech to the National Association of Head Teachers conference that he wants greater transparency about the workings of Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) and Head Teacher Boards (HTBs) that advise and challenge RSCs. The department will work with the sector over the coming months to develop proposals, for consultation in the Autumn, to support a clear and simple accountability system. This will build on the information already available regarding RSCs and their work, including academy transfers.
We currently publish records of HTB meetings. In July 2017, we produced updated Terms of Reference for HTBs as part of the summer HTB elections. We publish conflicts of interest registers for HTB members and RSCs, as well as information on the roles and responsibilities of the RSCs and criteria for all relevant types of RSC decisions. On GOV.UK, we publish annually grant funding data for academies that have moved trust, letters to academy trusts about poor performance and academies financial notices to improve
Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible, on behalf of the Secretary of State, for holding all academies, including multi-academy trusts, to account and will intervene where necessary to bring about rapid improvement.
The main triggers for RSCs taking action are concerns about educational performance, financial management and/or governance. In the first instance, RSCs will support the trust that runs the academy to secure improvements itself – for example, through diagnostic visits from education advisors or arranging school-to-school support. Where they have serious concerns, RSCs are able to take more formal action such as issuing warning notices, setting out the improvements that are required and by when. The particular actions they may take are contained in the funding agreement between the academy trust and the Secretary of State.
Ultimately, the Education and Adoption Act 2016 provides the Secretary of State with powers, regardless of what terms are in the funding agreement, to terminate the funding agreement of an academy that is failing or coasting and transfer it to a new sponsor.
Our priority is to ensure all children receive the best possible education and RSCs will identify the most appropriate sponsor and work with the existing trust to manage the transition and ensure minimal disruption for pupils.
More detailed information about powers available for taking action in academies and how decisions are taken by RSCs are set out in the Schools Causing Concern Guidance and the RSCs Decision Making Framework, both of which are available on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2
and
The Government is committed to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their background, receive a high quality education. We are, therefore, working with local authorities, teaching schools, and academy trusts to ensure that schools are receiving appropriate support. As part of that support, Regional Schools Commissioners have a remit to tackle poor performance in schools and where necessary, move them into strong multi academy trusts.
I have met hon. friends from Northamptonshire, Martin Post as Regional Schools Commissioner for North West London and South Central region, and the Director of Children’s Service for Northamptonshire to discuss education standards in Northamptonshire's schools.
In England, we have identified and are providing support for coasting schools that require it. We have recently consulted on proposals to enable more good school places to be created in the consultation document ‘Schools That Work for Everyone’. In addition, we have announced a new £140 million Strategic School Improvement Fund for academies and maintained schools, which will ensure that we target school improvement resources and support from teaching schools and National Leaders of Education where it is most needed.
Reducing absence from school is a top priority for this government as good attendance is clearly linked to attainment. Evidence shows that missing the equivalent of just one week a year from school can damage a pupil’s life chances and reduce a pupil’s chances of succeeding at school[1]. Parents should avoid taking their child out of school during term time if this is not absolutely necessary.
Head teachers continue to have the discretion to approve term-time absence, but only in exceptional circumstances.
[1] : “The link between absence and attainment at KS2 and KS4: 2012 to 2013 academic year” research report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/absence-and-attainment-at-key-stages-2-and-4-2012-to-2013