The second largest opposition party is neither formally defined nor given specific speaking rights by the Standing Orders of the House or the Companion to the Standing Orders. The Companion to Standing Orders does, however, set out several areas where the \u201copposition front benches\u201d have the right to speak for longer than backbenchers or have rights to speak at specific points in proceedings.
Of the political parties represented in the House, only the Official Opposition and the Liberal Democrat group operate frontbenches of a size that permits them to shadow each Government department. It is for that reason that the definition of \u201copposition frontbenches\u201d that applied in practice before the 2010 Parliament has been reverted to in this Parliament.
It remains open to any member who wishes to propose a change to current arrangements to make representations to me and/or make a submission to the Procedure Committee.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4205", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Stowell of Beeston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1135"}
, {"_value" : "HL1136"}
, {"_value" : "HL1137"}
, {"_value" : "HL1138"}
, {"_value" : "HL1139"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-20T16:47:20.883Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "92"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Leader of the House of Lords"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "House of Lords: Political Parties"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Leader of the House on what basis a political party with 7.9 per cent of the national vote at a general election holds front bench status in the House of Lords.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/499", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Campbell-Savours"}
], "uin" : "HL1588"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390667", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390667/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government published its Digital Inclusion Strategy in April 2014 when 11 million people were digitally excluded. It committed to a 25% reduction by 2016, and a further 25% every two years thereafter. On this basis, over 90% of the adult population will be digitally capable by 2020.<\/p>
<\/p>
Government has committed to making digital inclusion part of the development of wider policy, programmes and digital services. The government does not collect data on all programmes that include a digital inclusion component, nor on local level initiatives. Government invests through a variety of programmes, ranging from the national super-fast broadband roll out, to the Digital Deal scheme for housing associations and funding for digital skills training through the Skills Funding Agency. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is funding a basic digital skills programme to reach 1 million digitally excluded people over 5 years, in addition to the 1.25 million adults helped under the previous programme.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
In addition to specific digital inclusion related skills programmes, £7.4m has been committed to funding free wifi and internet access for libraries in England.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matthew Hancock"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "7667"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-21T09:14:26.367Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Digital Technology"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 2556, whether, under his plans, digital illiteracy will stay above the target of 10 per cent of the population until 2026.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "7666"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390668", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390668/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government published its Digital Inclusion Strategy in April 2014 when 11 million people were digitally excluded. It committed to a 25% reduction by 2016, and a further 25% every two years thereafter. On this basis, over 90% of the adult population will be digitally capable by 2020.<\/p>
<\/p>
Government has committed to making digital inclusion part of the development of wider policy, programmes and digital services. The government does not collect data on all programmes that include a digital inclusion component, nor on local level initiatives. Government invests through a variety of programmes, ranging from the national super-fast broadband roll out, to the Digital Deal scheme for housing associations and funding for digital skills training through the Skills Funding Agency. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is funding a basic digital skills programme to reach 1 million digitally excluded people over 5 years, in addition to the 1.25 million adults helped under the previous programme.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
In addition to specific digital inclusion related skills programmes, £7.4m has been committed to funding free wifi and internet access for libraries in England.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4070", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Hancock"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Suffolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matthew Hancock"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "7666"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-21T09:14:26.537Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Digital Technology"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which digital inclusion programmes central government departments and non-departmental public bodies are (a) funding or (b) participating in.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "7667"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390720", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/390720/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "