In 2014, the then Coalition introduced Individual Electoral Registration. The Government has no plans to reassess its policy with regard to automatic voter registration for resident UK citizens or for registering UK citizens living abroad. The electoral system in the United Kingdom is trust based and voting is not mandatory. The Government opposes automatic voter registration because such a system would risk increasing errors and inaccuracies in the registers.<\/p>
The Government understands that the Welsh Government is planning to trial automatic registration for devolved elections and will be paying close attention to any unintended or negative effects on registration for reserved elections.<\/p>
The UK Government is working with the Electoral Commission to amplify its messaging to increase awareness of the forthcoming removal of the 15-year limit on British citizens\u2019 living abroad and their eligibility to register and vote in UK Parliamentary elections.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4494", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Simon Hoare"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Dorset"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Simon Hoare"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "5042"} , {"_value" : "5043"} , {"_value" : "5044"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-11T17:22:10.257Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "211"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Levelling Up, Housing and Communities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electoral Register: British Nationals Abroad"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has had discussions with the (a) Electoral Commission and (b) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the potential merits of an information campaign targeted at UK citizens living overseas to encourage them to register to vote.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4934", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Helen Morgan"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Shropshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Helen Morgan"} ], "uin" : "5045"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1156218", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1156218/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In the Legal Support Action plan published in February 2019 the Government committed to increase the scope for legal aid in family law cases to cover all Special Guardianship Orders in private family law cases; and removing the means test for those with parental responsibility to oppose placement or adoption orders in family law proceedings.<\/p>
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To support those with family law problems who are not in scope for Legal Aid the government is doubling the funding for the Litigants in Person Support Strategy to £3m for the next two years, to ensure those representing themselves in court understand the process and are better supported through it.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4358", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wendy Morton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldridge-Brownhills"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Wendy Morton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-10-29T17:41:59.527Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Legal Opinion: Parents and Carers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has for the future funding of independent legal advice for (a) parents and (b) kinship carers involved in the child welfare and family justice system after April 2020.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4449", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Turley"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Redcar"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Anna Turley"} ], "uin" : "5045"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/752088", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/752088/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since September 2016, the nine largest personal current account providers in the UK are legally required to offer basic bank accounts to customers who do not have a bank account or who are ineligible for a bank\u2019s standard current account, provided that the customer is legally resident in the EU.<\/p>
<\/p>
The industry produced Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) guidance notes contain a list of documents which are capable of evidencing identity for special cases, including refugees, who either cannot meet their standard verification requirement, or have experienced difficulties in the past when seeking to open accounts, and which will generally be appropriate for opening a basic bank account. In the case of refugees the suggested non-standard documentation includes an Immigration Status Document with Residence Permit.<\/p>
<\/p>
To help refugees to prove their identity, when an individual is granted refugee status by the Home Office they are issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) as proof of the holder\u2019s right to stay, work or study in the UK.<\/p>
<\/p>
The treatment of customers by financial services firms, including banks and building societies, is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its Principles for Businesses. The FCA\u2019s Principles include a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers and the government works closely with the FCA to ensure that members of the public have access to useful and affordable financial products and services.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4095", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Barclay"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Cambridgeshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Barclay"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "5046"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T15:51:42.947Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Financial Services: Refugees"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve the financial inclusion of refugees in the UK.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"} ], "uin" : "5045"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/386955", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Energy and Climate Change"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/386955/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Movements in pump prices are primarily driven by the underlying price of crude oil, though are also influenced by a range of other supply and demand factors, including refining capacity, stock levels, distribution costs, retail margins and seasonal demand variations.<\/p>
DECC analysis suggests that on average, at a national level, crude price changes are fully passed through into pump prices within 6-7 weeks; though much of the change is passed through earlier.<\/p>
The Government is absolutely clear that it expects changes in crude prices to be passed on fairly to consumers. DECC continuously monitors pump prices, and publish average prices of petrol and diesel every Monday, available at:<\/p>