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1007845

	registered interest
	date	15/11/2018
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Absent Voting
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the integrity of the postal voting system.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	191906
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>The British public deserves to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is committed to ensuring that our electoral system is fit for the future.</p><p>Next year, Peterborough and Pendle will be piloting measures to improve the integrity of the postal and proxy vote process. This builds on similar pilots in 2018.</p><p>In addition, the Government is looking to introduce measures which will prohibit party campaigners from handling postal votes, and apply a limit to the number of postal ballots that any one individual can hand in at a polling station. The provisions will be backed up by a new offence, and will make a significant contribution to enhancing the security of postal voting. There is currently a Government supported Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons looking to introduce this policy.</p><p>The Government is considering the way forward on the other recommendations made by Sir Eric Pickles, a number of which relate to absent voting, and will continue to consider how to improve the integrity of electoral processes more generally.</p><p>The Government is committed to strengthening our electoral processes and enhancing public confidence in the rigour of those democratic processes.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/11/2018 11:43:24 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1463988

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	British Sign Language Act 2022
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to implement the British Sign Language Act 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	4548
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2022 answer text <p>The British Sign Language Act 2022 gained Royal Assent in April 2022 and does three things:</p><ul><li>It recognises British Sign Language as a language of Great Britain in its own right;</li><li>It places a duty on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to report on the promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language by ministerial departments;</li><li>It places a duty on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to issue guidance to ministerial departments on the general promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language across their public communications - such as public announcements, consultations, plans, strategy, social media and press conferences.</li></ul><p>A BSL Advisory Board will be established to advise the government on the implementation of the BSL Act from the perspective of those who use BSL. The board will also advise on related matters such as how to increase the number of BSL interpreters. This Board is a key first step in implementation of the Act, and it is anticipated that recruitment for the board will begin soon, with the first board meeting to be held in the Autumn.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 26/05/2022 13:43:56 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1179755

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Census: Sikhs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to ensure a Sikh ethnic tick box in the forthcoming Census Order.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	19842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>The draft Census (England and Wales) Order 2020 was laid in Parliament on 2 March. It sets the date of the Census and the topics on which census questions are to be asked.</p><p>Once made, the Order will be followed by Census Regulations for England and for Wales. The Regulations for England will be laid before Parliament. The Regulations for Wales are the responsibility of Welsh Ministers and will be laid before the National Assembly for Wales. The Regulations to be made by the Welsh Ministers will contain the final wording of the questions on Welsh language skills and ethnic group to be asked in the Wales census.</p><p>As part of the Census Data Collection and Transformation Programme, the ONS is exploring how to produce census-type statistics more frequently than the decennial census, using other sources of data. The ONS will make a recommendation to the Government in 2023 on the future of the census.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 21893 21894 21895 question first answered 03/03/2020 17:36:08 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1187603

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Constituencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to bring forward proposals for a UK-wide boundary review of parliamentary constituencies.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	34335
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2020 answer text <p>The Conservative Government committed, in its 2019 Manifesto, to delivering updated and equal UK Parliamentary boundaries with the essential aim of making sure that every vote counts the same - a cornerstone of democracy.</p><p>In the written statement of 24 March, ‘Update: Strengthening Democracy’ (<a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-03-24/HCWS183/" target="_blank">HCWS183</a>), the Government set out its policy position in relation to the boundaries of UK Parliamentary constituencies. The statement noted that legislation currently provides that, on implementation of the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, the number of constituencies in the UK shall be 600, and that the Government is instead minded to make provision for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650. This is a change in policy from the position previously legislated for under the Coalition Government. Since that policy was established in the Coalition Agreement, the United Kingdom has left the European Union. The UK Parliament will have a greater workload now we are taking back control, abolishing MEPs and regaining our political and economic independence. It is therefore sensible for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650.</p><p>The written statement explained that, when Parliamentary time allows, the Government is minded to bring forward primary legislation to set the framework for future boundary reviews, including the next review due to begin in early 2021.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 34336 question first answered 21/04/2020 08:25:59 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1187604

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Constituencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the basis was for there being 650 parliamentary constituencies.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	34336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2020 answer text <p>The Conservative Government committed, in its 2019 Manifesto, to delivering updated and equal UK Parliamentary boundaries with the essential aim of making sure that every vote counts the same - a cornerstone of democracy.</p><p>In the written statement of 24 March, ‘Update: Strengthening Democracy’ (<a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-03-24/HCWS183/" target="_blank">HCWS183</a>), the Government set out its policy position in relation to the boundaries of UK Parliamentary constituencies. The statement noted that legislation currently provides that, on implementation of the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, the number of constituencies in the UK shall be 600, and that the Government is instead minded to make provision for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650. This is a change in policy from the position previously legislated for under the Coalition Government. Since that policy was established in the Coalition Agreement, the United Kingdom has left the European Union. The UK Parliament will have a greater workload now we are taking back control, abolishing MEPs and regaining our political and economic independence. It is therefore sensible for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650.</p><p>The written statement explained that, when Parliamentary time allows, the Government is minded to bring forward primary legislation to set the framework for future boundary reviews, including the next review due to begin in early 2021.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 34335 question first answered 21/04/2020 08:25:59 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1189294

	registered interest
	date	22/04/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Constituencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will amend the Government's guidance to the Electoral Commission to ensure the Commission's recommendations on the 2018 Boundary Review are based on the number of people on the electoral register rather than in the total population.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	38901
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>Given the independent nature of the Boundary Commissions, the Government has not issued guidance to either the Electoral Commission or to the Boundary Commissions in respect of the conduct of boundary reviews.</p><p>Boundary reviews have always been based on the number of registered electors. The 2018 Boundary Review was conducted by the four independent Boundary Commissions in accordance with the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 which provides for boundary reviews and their recommendations to be based on the number of registered electors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 28/04/2020 13:06:32 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1230262

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2020
	answering body	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	209
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Constituencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will amend the Government's guidance to the Electoral Commission to ensure the Commission's recommendations on the Boundary Review are based on the number of people in the total population rather than those only on the electoral register.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	83771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2020 answer text <p>Boundary reviews have always been based on the number of registered electors. The Government considers that using the definitive registered electorate, and holding regular reviews, is the clearest and most effective method of keeping constituency sizes up to date.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 09/09/2020 11:27:31 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364332

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on cross-departmental work to implement effectively the National Disability Strategy.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	65416
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including the National Disability Strategy which was published in July.</p><p> </p><p>At the request of the Prime Minister, a set of Ministerial Disability Champions were appointed in summer 2020, to drive the development and delivery of the National Disability Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Their role, as set out on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>, includes championing disabled people and driving the delivery of the National Disability Strategy in their respective departments.</p><p> </p><p>As detailed in the strategy itself, the government will publish an annual report in summer 2022, detailing the progress made against commitments. An updated list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions will be published on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> in due course.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 08/11/2021 16:51:21 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1384352

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to enable disable people to contribute their experiences into the process for compiling the planned disability White Paper.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	86084
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>The Health and Disability Green Paper proposals will be detailed in the White Paper set to publish in mid-2022.</p><p> </p><p>More than 40 events with disabled people, people with health conditions and their representatives were held throughout the consultation period for ‘Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper’. This was to ensure that their views shaped the content of the consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The responses to the Health and Disability Green Paper will be analysed to determine suitable proposals for improvement in the health and disability space and wider benefit reform. We continue to engage stakeholders regularly, particularly on the broader aspects of the paper that focus on future reform.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published the National Disability Strategy which aims to improve disabled people’s everyday lives. The strategy sets out a very wide-ranging set of cross-government practical actions to improve the lives of disabled people, across jobs, education, housing,</p><p>transport, shopping, culture, justice, public services, and data and evidence.</p><p> </p><p>The National Disability Strategy committed to review the way the UK government engages with disabled people, in discussion with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities. That work is already underway.</p><p> </p><p>The National Disability Strategy committed to publishing an annual report in summer 2022, which will detail the progress made against all commitments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 86085 question first answered 14/12/2021 11:48:04 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1384354

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to publish the disability White Paper.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	86085
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>The Health and Disability Green Paper proposals will be detailed in the White Paper set to publish in mid-2022.</p><p> </p><p>More than 40 events with disabled people, people with health conditions and their representatives were held throughout the consultation period for ‘Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper’. This was to ensure that their views shaped the content of the consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The responses to the Health and Disability Green Paper will be analysed to determine suitable proposals for improvement in the health and disability space and wider benefit reform. We continue to engage stakeholders regularly, particularly on the broader aspects of the paper that focus on future reform.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published the National Disability Strategy which aims to improve disabled people’s everyday lives. The strategy sets out a very wide-ranging set of cross-government practical actions to improve the lives of disabled people, across jobs, education, housing,</p><p>transport, shopping, culture, justice, public services, and data and evidence.</p><p> </p><p>The National Disability Strategy committed to review the way the UK government engages with disabled people, in discussion with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities. That work is already underway.</p><p> </p><p>The National Disability Strategy committed to publishing an annual report in summer 2022, which will detail the progress made against all commitments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 86084 question first answered 14/12/2021 11:48:04 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord