Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
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 (a) review and (b) expand the types of identification required to vote to include digital ID.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has recently published our response to the Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2024 General Election, and this is available here: Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2024 elections: government response - GOV.UK.
As set out in that response, we are presently undertaking a thorough review both of the list of identifications currently accepted in polling stations and of the wider voter ID policy. This will include consideration of digital IDs.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
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 facilitate the registration of postal voters.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Electors who wish to apply for a postal vote can choose to make their application on paper, or online for reserved elections in Great Britain.
Giving electors the choice to apply for an absent vote through a paper application or online gives electors more control over their voting arrangements, whether they choose to vote in person, via post, or via a proxy. The online postal and proxy vote application services also make the process easier and simpler for many electors. Over 1.5 million people in Great Britain made an application to vote by post or via a proxy in the run-up to the General Election last year. Between the election being called on the 22nd of May 2024 and the deadline for absent vote applications, 84% of postal vote applications and 93% of proxy vote applications were made using the online services.
Over 90% of electors who chose to apply for a postal or proxy vote online during this period found the services to be effective and said that they were satisfied with them.
These services make our democratic system more accessible for electors, and the Government is supporting work to expand their scope. The Government recently gave its full support to the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill. If passed, the Bill will allow applications for postal and proxy voting arrangements for Welsh and Scottish Parliamentary elections, and local elections in Wales and Scotland, to be made online.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of levels of demand for new housing in different areas of the UK; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of new homes on the economy of the different regions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In December 2024, the government implemented a new standard method for assessing local housing needs. This method aligns with the government’s ambition for 1.5 million new homes over this parliament, and better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable. Indicative housing figures for each local authority and region in England are published on gov.uk.
Investment in housing and infrastructure today drives future productivity growth and higher living standards, making these areas pivotal to the success of the Growth Mission. This government is committed to kickstarting economic growth and getting Britain building.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 24615 on Housing: Carbon Emissions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned amendments to building regulations on the economy.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024. It set out proposals for improving the energy efficiency of new homes and buildings. An impact assessment was published concurrently, which included an assessment of the economic impact of the proposals, and the consultation invited consultees to offer their views on this assessment.
We are carefully considering the feedback received. We intend to introduce new energy efficiency standards later this year and will publish an updated impact assessment at that time.