The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his office. Any reforms will ensure that elections and electoral registration will continue to be delivered in the most effective way while placing his office on a sustainable financial footing. I understand work on some of the options for reform remains at an early stage.<\/p>
<\/p>
In addition to the currently available paper registration process we propose to introduce, by the end of 2016, an on-line registration service. This will improve the registration service offered to people in Northern Ireland.<\/p>
<\/p>
The consideration of possible structural changes to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland is a matter for the Chief Electoral Officer and it will be for him to consult with stakeholders once the options have been fully explored.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4534", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Dunlop"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Dunlop"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL6573"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-10T12:54:07.787Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "21"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government when they intend to publish papers relating to the review of the workings of the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4216", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Empey"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Empey"} ], "uin" : "HL6574"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456382", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456382/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
On 17 February, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) published procurement guidance for public authorities that makes clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government.<\/p>
This new guidance gives no consideration to matters of common law, which is a matter for the courts. However, the guidance makes it clear that local level boycotts can be unlawful and lead to severe penalties against the contracting authority and the Government.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4535", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bridges of Headley"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL6455"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-15T17:59:13.997Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Sanctions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of whether local authorities that engage in foreign boycotts risk acting in breach of the common law as well as the UK's regime of procurement rules.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2037", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lester of Herne Hill"} ], "uin" : "HL6613"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456394", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456394/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4535", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bridges of Headley"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456394/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL6622 FINAL.pdf"} , "title" : "Referral Letter"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-08T16:44:49.043Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Childbirth"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government how many live births there were in 2015 at 23 and 24 weeks gestation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/621", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Moonie"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Moonie"} ], "uin" : "HL6622"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456399", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Northern Ireland Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456399/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government\u2019s position, as announced in September 2013, remains that following careful consideration and consultation there should be no public inquiry. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland concluded that a further inquiry or review would not deliver results going beyond what had already been uncovered by previous investigations and processes.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4534", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Dunlop"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Dunlop"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-10T15:36:22.193Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "21"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Northern Ireland"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bombings: Omagh"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they will establish an inquiry into the Omagh bombing of 1998 and the handling of the investigation into that bombing by the security forces.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2479", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Laird"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Laird"} ], "uin" : "HL6627"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456454", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/456454/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "