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1134466

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266672 on Political Parties: Finance, for what reason the Government considers Section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 to be unworkable.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	268969
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:22 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134468

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has received representations from the Electoral Commission on the workability of section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	268970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134054

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Cancer: Death
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died from cancer in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	268517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 26/06/2019 16:57:56 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster attachment 1 file name PQ268517.pdf title UKSA Response
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1134105

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Voting Rights: Prisoners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has plans to give prisoners in England the right to vote.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	268431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>It is the Government’s long-established position that when someone commits a crime, which is sufficiently serious to receive a prison sentence, they are deemed to have broken their contract with society to such an extent that they should not have the right to vote until they are ready to be back in the community.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 27/06/2019 09:57:09 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1134246

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Homelessness: Death
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the 10 local authorities with the greatest number of recorded homeless deaths since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	268409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 27/06/2019 09:58:40 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster attachment 1 file name PQ268409.pdf title UKSA Response
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1134276

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has received legal advice on its recent performance of its obligations under Article 20(2)(b) TFEU to guarantee EU citizens resident in the UK the right to vote and to stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament under the same conditions as UK nationals.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Mr Gavin Shuker
uin	268457
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliamentary<br>elections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers to<br>make their preparations required for the polls on 23 May.</p><p>The necessity for EU citizens to complete a UC1 form to be able to vote in European Parliamentary<br>elections implements a requirement under EU law. This is not a new requirement and has been in<br>place for previous European Parliamentary elections. Similar provisions apply to UK citizens living<br>in other EU Member States</p><p>As with any election we will reflect on proceedings and outcomes. In line with their statutory duty,<br>the Electoral Commission will be publishing a report into the administration of the polls later this<br>year, which the Government will consider in due course.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 27/06/2019 09:57:58 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4013 label Biography information for Mr Gavin Shuker

1133644

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
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, how many representations he has received on the inclusion of Sikh as a separate ethnicity on the census.
tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
uin	267292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The Cabinet Office has received a number of representations on the proposed content of the census as set out in the white paper “Help Shape Our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales”. These include the addition of Sikh as a separate ethnicity on the census.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/06/2019 16:48:32 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

1133646

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons EU citizens were not issued with an EU election voter registration and declaration form when they voted in local elections.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	267294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>It is for individual Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to decide how to fulfil their statutory duty to encourage participation by electors in the electoral process in the area in which they act and take the necessary steps to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/06/2019 16:59:10 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1133647

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what support he provided to local authority electoral registration officers to ensure that EU citizens had sufficient time to return their declaration forms to vote in the 2019 European elections.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	267295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government took all the legal steps necessary to prepare for the European Parliament elections and put in place all the legislative and funding elements to enable Returning Officers to make their preparations required for the polls on 23 May. We also worked with Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission and other agencies such as the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) to support the smooth running of the polls.</p><p> </p><p>On 5 April the Electoral Commission published guidance for Local Returning Officers and EROs on the upcoming European Parliament elections. In this the Electoral Commission reminded EROs to prepare and issue UC1 forms to EU citizens on the electoral register. It also encouraged EROs to agree plans and timings for postal vote despatch (including how to prioritise the despatch of overseas votes). This latter point covers UK citizens living in EU countries.</p><p> </p><p>On 3 May the Electoral Commission published guidance advising EU citizens to avoid registering to vote using unofficial registration sites. In this guidance, they further stated that “any EU citizen who wants to vote in the European Parliamentary election in the UK must also print, complete and return a declaration form stating that they will only vote in the UK.” This guidance also included a link to the Your Vote Matters website where the form could be downloaded.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/06/2019 16:49:08 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1133650

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason his Department decided not to extend the deadline for EU citizens to return their voter registration and declaration forms for the 2019 European Parliament elections.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	267296
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The latest date in which an EU citizen can submit a European Parliament Voter Registration Form (known as a UC1 form) to register as an elector in the European Parliamentary elections is 12 working days before the date of the election. For the recent European Parliamentary elections that deadline was 7th May. The 12 working day deadline is based on two provisions relating to the application process and the publication of, and alterations to, the register before the election. The provisions are contained in section 13B of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and regulation 29 of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001; and the equivalent provisions in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001 and Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008 as applied by Schedule 001 of the European Parliamentary Elections (Franchise of Relevant Citizens of the Union) Regulations 2001. To change the 12 working day deadline would require changes to the legislation.</p><p> </p><p>The UC1 form implements a requirement under EU law. EU Council Directive 93/109/EC requires all Member States to send the details of any EU citizens’ declarations to the state they are a citizen of “sufficiently in advance of polling day” to ensure an EU citizen does not vote twice in the same European Parliamentary election. This is not a new requirement and has been in place for previous European Parliamentary elections.</p><p> </p><p>On 5 April the Electoral Commission published guidance for Local Returning Officers and EROs on the upcoming European Parliament elections. In this the Electoral Commission reminded EROs to prepare and issue UC1 forms to EU citizens on the electoral register. It also encouraged EROs to agree plans and timings for postal vote despatch (including how to prioritise the despatch of overseas votes). This latter point covers UK citizens living in EU countries.</p><p> </p><p>On 3 May the Electoral Commission published guidance advising EU citizens to avoid registering to vote using unofficial registration sites. In this guidance, they further stated that “any EU citizen who wants to vote in the European Parliamentary election in the UK must also print, complete and return a declaration form stating that they will only vote in the UK.” This guidance also included a link to the Your Vote Matters website where the form could be downloaded.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/06/2019 16:49:26 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan