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1150745

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Elections: Visual Impairment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that their proposals to "protect the integrity of the electoral system" include provisions to ensure people with conditions such as sight loss are able to vote.
tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
uin	HL219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government announced in conjunction with the Queen’s Speech that it intends to bring forward a package of measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including people with sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 30/10/2019 12:21:35 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1150746

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Elections: Visual Impairment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the judgment by the High Court in May which ruled that the current method used in elections to make ballot papers accessible for blind and partially sighted voters was unlawful, what plans they have to reform that method.
tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
uin	HL220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to work with the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group to make an informed assessment of the most suitable options to take forward. Work has been undertaken to revise guidance to electoral administrators and, with input from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to research technical solutions which will be further discussed at a dedicated sub-group. Officials are also due to hold a meeting specifically on this topic with the RNIB shortly.</p><p>The proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech, will bring forward measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. This will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 30/10/2019 12:22:20 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1150747

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Elections: Visual Impairment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that any introduction of a photographic ID requirement for voting will not have a disproportionate effect on blind and partially sighted people.
tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
uin	HL221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century.</p><p>We will continue to consult and work with a broad range of representative groups, charities and civil society organisations to understand the needs of all voters. We will also continue to listen to the Cabinet Office Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes in its membership the Royal National Institute of Blind people.</p><p>We will keep Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our preparations and work with stakeholders as we take forward measures to improve the integrity and accessibility of our elections. These measures will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.</p><p> </p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 30/10/2019 15:30:56 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1150748

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Elections: Proof of Identity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that the application process for any free alternative form of electoral ID is well publicised and accessible.
tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
uin	HL222
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century. As was the case in the 2018 and 2019 voter ID pilots, electors who do not have any of the required types of ID will be able to apply for a locally issued electoral identity document, free of charge.</p><p>The Electoral Commission will be responsible for the national awareness raising campaign to ensure that all voters know how to ensure they have the ID required to vote. A great deal of work was done by each local authority in the voter ID pilots to ensure all voters were aware of the requirement to provide ID and they were able to obtain locally issued ID if required.</p><p>We will continue working with the pilot authorities who have tested voter ID, the Electoral Commission, and the Cabinet Office pilot and reference group to develop a secure and accessible process for national implementation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 31/10/2019 16:11:43 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1150749

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Elections: Visual Impairment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accessibility of elections for blind and partially sighted people; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that the new photographic ID requirement does not decrease that accessibility.
tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
uin	HL223
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>In 2018 the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. It received over 250 responses and in a subsequent response paper set out some of the things it was going to look at, including elements that address accessibility issues for people with sight loss.</p><p>With regard to piloting voter identification in polling stations, the Government has worked with the Access to Elections Working Group, which includes people from RNIB, Mencap and other organisations representing disabled people, to consider how accessibility can be maintained. The Government has also worked with a wide range of other stakeholders. We will continue consultation with all of these organisations, keeping Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our planning for the roll out of voter ID in Great Britain.</p><p>We are also starting to bring forward measures which respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections, with the proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.</p><p> </p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 04/11/2019 12:17:11 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1150750

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Dental Services
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in respone to the shortage of National Health Service dentists.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL224
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The latest headcount data published by NHS Digital show that the total number of dentists actively delivering National Health Service services increased from 24,308 to 24,545 during the period 2017/18 to 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>Both NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) have initiatives in place to tackle recruitment and retention issues. HEE’s current programme Advancing Dental Care is exploring the opportunities for flexible dental training pathways that can better serve patients as well as improving dental workforce retention. NHS England is introducing ‘flexible commissioning’, which allows local NHS commissioners to commission a wider range of services from dental practices which is expected to make NHS dentistry more attractive to newly qualified dentists.</p><p> </p><p>These initiatives sit alongside the Department’s and NHS England’s work to reform the current NHS dental contract to support dentists to deliver preventatively focussed care. The patient pathway in the new model makes greater use of the whole dental team including nurses and therapists which moves away from needing dentists to complete every course of treatment.</p><p> </p><p>The interim NHS People Plan, published in June 2019, sets out plans for the future dental workforce. This commits to creating a capable and motivated multidisciplinary dental workforce, of a sufficient size, to meet population health needs.</p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 30/10/2019 12:34:49 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

1150751

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Extinction Rebellion: Demonstrations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to recent events relating to the Extinction Rebellion protests in London, what assessment they have made of the balance between the rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly under the Convention of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, and matters of public order and nuisance; in particular, what assessment they have made of the question of conspiracy offences and the protection of those rights; and what steps they intend to take in response to any such assessments.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>The right to protest peacefully is a long-standing tradition in this country and a vital foundation of our democracy.</p><p>There is, of course, a balance to be struck. Protestors’ rights need to be balanced with the rights of others to go about their business. Rights to peaceful protest do not extend to unlawful activity and the police have powers to deal with any such acts.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 31/10/2019 16:45:57 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1150753

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	General Practitioners: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ending the charging of victims of domestic violence by some GPs for letters confirming their injuries in order to get access to other services.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>Negotiations are held annually between NHS England and the British Medical Association over amendments to the general practitioner contract. For the 2020/21 negotiations, the Department has asked NHS England to look at improving the system of evidence provision in relation to benefit assessments and legal aid applications for victims of domestic violence. We are working closely on this with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 31/10/2019 14:14:32 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1150754

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Customs Intermediaries
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many qualified customs agents there are; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that number.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>The customs intermediaries sector in the UK is unregulated and there is no requirement for registration or qualification, so the precise volume of qualified agents is complex to establish. HMRC have engaged extensively with the customs intermediaries sector on the sector’s concerns about demand for customs broker services post-EU exit and a possible short-fall in capacity. That is why HMRC have made £34m available to support the sector with training, improvements in automation, and recruitment of customs agents. This has funded approximately 2200 training courses to train staff in customs process and procedures, and funded the creation of a new UK Customs Academy which will provide online training courses and industry-recognised qualifications. The grant schemes remain open until 31 January 2020.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 31/10/2019 17:33:59 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1150755

registered interest
date	19/10/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Credit Unions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the regulations concerning credit unions.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>In 2014, the Government undertook a call for evidence to understand the appropriate steps that could be taken to support the credit union sector. Subsequently, the maximum interest a credit union can charge on loans was raised from 2% to 3% per month, and the upper limit on the geographical common bond was raised from 2 to 3 million people.</p><p>The Government continues to be open to considering the case for further reform. ABCUL, the sector’s largest trade body, is currently carrying out a sector-wide consultation which is due to conclude later this year. HMT will consider its conclusions in the development of future credit union policy.</p><p> </p><p>At Autumn Budget 2018, the Government announced a package of measures to support credit unions, and other social and community lenders, including:</p><ul><li>A £2 million affordable credit challenge fund, harnessing the UK’s FinTech sector to address challenges faced by social and community lenders, including credit unions.</li><li>A change in the regulatory boundary of credit broking to make it easier for registered social landlords such as housing associations to refer their tenants to social and community lenders.</li><li>A prize-linked savings pilot scheme, to encourage the growth of the credit union sector and encourage consumers to build up their personal savings. This pilot launched on October 17<sup>th</sup>, International Credit Union Day, in 13 credit unions around the country, with 2 more credit unions due to join the pilot.</li><li>A feasibility study to design a pilot for a UK No-Interest Loans Scheme.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The PRA have also proposed a simplified, proportional capital requirement regime for credit unions in their recently published consultation.</p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 31/10/2019 13:42:28 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark