The Electoral Commission is pleased that the European Union Referendum Bill has been amended to ensure that polling day for the referendum will not be held on the same day as scheduled elections in May 2016 or May 2017. It is important that any debate about the UK\u2019s membership of the European Union takes place at a time that allows the full participation of voters and campaigners, uncomplicated by competing messages and activity relating to other scheduled elections.<\/p>
The Commission will continue to consider the operational implications of holding a referendum on any other date before 31 December 2017, and will publish its advice to Parliament on any regulations which specify the day on which the referendum is to be held.<\/p>
To inform their planning, the Electoral Commission has also highlighted to Government officials that any date for the referendum that is close to scheduled elections could lead to problems for voters and campaigners because of overlapping timetables for the polls. For example, a referendum held very shortly after elections might require postal votes to be despatched before polling day for the earlier elections.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/234", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Gary Streeter"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Devon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Gary Streeter"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-19T10:27:18.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "UK Membership of EU: Referendums"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has made any assessment of the suitability of different dates for the forthcoming EU referendum.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Glen"}
], "uin" : "12046"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421322", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421322/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Housing associations who are registered providers need to adopt a code of governance and explain how they have complied with this code in annual accounts, which are required to be submitted to the Social Housing Regulator. From 2015-16, housing association accounts will also need to report compliance to the Regulator\u2019s standards. These include a requirement to ensure effective governance arrangements that deliver their aims, objectives and intended outcomes for tenants and potential tenants in a transparent and accountable manner.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-19T13:22:41.62Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Associations"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to improve the transparency of the corporate governance on housing associations.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/116", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Sussex"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir Nicholas Soames"}
], "uin" : "11980"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421323", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421323/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " This Government is determined to extend home ownership to anyone that aspires to own a home of their own.<\/p> The Department is using a range of measures, programmes and public land to stimulate and accelerate housing growth in the West Midlands.<\/p> Investment programmes such as the Builders Finance Fund have been used to assist developers and builders to access the funds they need to undertake building activity and unlock housing growth. Through the previously announced Greater Birmingham and Solihull City Deal, we are working with Birmingham City Council to implement their public asset accelerator programme to bring public sector land to the market which would otherwise be undevelopable.<\/p> Examples of housing coming forward in the West Midlands are 203 new homes to be built on the former Bucknall hospital site, 280 new homes and an improved retail centre at Meadway, East Birmingham, subject to planning, and 157 new homes for sale and rent at the former Dudley Guest Hospital, with a start on site scheduled next month.<\/p> Almost 12,000 families in the West Midlands have been helped into home ownership via our Help to Buy Schemes.<\/p> More widely, this Government is committed to increasing housing supply and home ownership in all parts of the country. Housing starts are at their highest annual level since 2007, and there are now almost 800,000 more homes in England than there were in 2009.<\/p> The Housing Bill introduced to Parliament last week will help to deliver more homes faster by unlocking brownfield land, further improving the operation of the planning system through delivering measures in the Productivity Plan, setting out a framework for building 200,000 Starter Homes and doubling the number of custom-built and self-built homes by 2020.<\/p> In the 2015 Spending Review it was announced that the British Library, along with sponsored museums and galleries, would be receiving a settlement unchanged in cash terms. This will allow the British Library to continue its current good work. Further, the Government supports the British Library's ambition to develop land to the north of its St Pancras site, subject to business case approval. If it goes ahead this will create both more space and the potential for increased income for the Library.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-29T09:33:23.7Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "British Library: Finance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support the work of the British Library during the next funding period; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1484", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Goodman"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bishop Auckland"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Goodman"}
], "uin" : "11990"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421365", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421365/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Innovate UK, Defra and BBSRC are co-funding the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform (SAFIP), worth £90 million over five years with match funding by industry. There are a number of projects funded under SAFIP on the development of alternative and diverse forages to optimise the sustainability of animal production in the UK.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3934", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for George Eustice"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Camborne and Redruth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "George Eustice"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-19T10:41:18.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Animal Feed"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on research on the production of diverse forage mixtures to optimise animal production.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4022", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Oliver Colvile"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Oliver Colvile"}
], "uin" : "11790"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421367", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421367/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-19T13:21:38.247Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing: West Midlands"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of new homes built in local authorities in the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "11946"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421334", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421334/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "