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Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

:00:09.:00:19.

Working collaboratively with our partners and local government we are

:00:20.:00:26.

delivering better integration of public services. We have raised ?1.8

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billion in capital receipts and reduce running costs by three

:00:35.:00:44.

quarters of ?1 billion. I welcome the Minister placing this on record.

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Does he agree that at a time when the country needs to build more

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housing on brown field sites, it is essential that the government leads

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the way on this. Has the government then any audit that is actually

:00:56.:00:58.

there to ascertain the amount of land available and the number of

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houses and flats that could be built on that land? We have done some

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work. It is in the nature of the work that we are doing that there is

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not sufficiently good quality of understanding of public sector land

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which is why we are seeking to make it better but we did deliver 100,000

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homes in the last parliament on public sector land and we'd aspire

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to build 150,000 in this. I will provide him with further details as

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and when we discover it. The Minister will know that in 2010

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there was a report that said that the changes to the civil service,

:01:34.:01:38.

the regionalisation of the civil service, would take political

:01:39.:01:42.

leadership. What we have seen is a reduction in the size of the estate

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in London but we have seen an increase in the number of top

:01:47.:01:50.

officials and civil servants in London. Under his tenure, will we

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finally see that political leadership and the regions actually

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having a voice? I have to say to the honourable gentleman, I thank him

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for his kind comments, in my previous post it was a great

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pleasure to be working with civil servants, especially in Yorkshire,

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and I saw myself how it is possible to have senior civil servants around

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the country and I agree that the more we can get senior positions of

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all kinds around the country, the better we will be able to serve the

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people we are elected to serve. The speed with which the new Brexit

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department has been established from scratch has been truly impressive.

:02:31.:02:33.

This is the key to a modern government which can respond to

:02:34.:02:37.

modern needs, to have as much flexible, open plan office space as

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possible. I completely agree with my honourable friend. The way that we

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have been able to set up the new department and the other departments

:02:47.:02:50.

so rapidly is a tribute to the work done by my predecessors in reform of

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the civil servants. He will have heard the comments of my right

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honourable friend, the member for Exeter, about the very significant

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support he has received both in number and quality from the civil

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service so far. With your permission I shall answer

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this question and question four together. We are committed to

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insuring our electoral system is as transparent as possible. We are

:03:26.:03:28.

working closely with the Law Commission to decide which reforms

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might be brought forward following a report earlier this year. The

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government is also considering the review into electoral fraud and we

:03:37.:03:42.

will respond in due course. Smaller parties received almost a quarter of

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the votes cast in the 2015 election and while once 97% of the electorate

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voted Labour or Tory, none of that is reflected here. Is it not now

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time for a very serious and mature discussion on how we can make every

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vote count in the UK general election? The government believed

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that first past the post is the best system for electing a government. At

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the same time as ensuring the vital constituency link between a member

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of Parliament and their constituents is retained. This is clearly in line

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with the public mood reflected in the overwhelming majority support

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for first past the post and the referendum held in 2011. Many 16 and

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17-year-olds field disenfranchised by Westminster. In 2007, Scotland

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lowered its voting age to 16 and the turnout among 16 and 17-year-olds is

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higher than among other first-time voters. Will the Minister commit to

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seriously examine the evidence to extending the franchise to our young

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adults? The government believes that it is absently vital to our

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democracy that young people should be engaged in the democratic process

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and will continue its commitment to increase participation. The current

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voting age of 18 is widely recognised as the point at which one

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becomes an adult and gains full citizenship rights. I know the issue

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of lowering the voting age has been issued -- debated in this House when

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it has been defeated, including three times during the referendum

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Bill. The government has no plans to reduce the voting age. I welcome my

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honourable friend to the dispatch box and I thank him and his

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predecessor for the help given in the compilation of my report. Is my

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honourable friend alarmed that it is harder to take out a library card or

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to collect a parcel from the Post Office than it is to either vote or

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to obtain a postal vote? This place is our ballot boxes at a peculiar

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risk. I would like to thank my honourable friend for the work he is

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undertaking in producing his report on electoral reform he published in

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the summer. It made an excellent summer read. The government is

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taking electoral fraud extremely seriously and as a result we are

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currently considering his puzzles and will be formally responding to

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his report in due course. May I welcome the Minister to his new

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position very warmly. As the Minister considers proposals to

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strengthen electoral law against voter fraud, will he also consider a

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new legal requirement for people with more than one residents to

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choose one of them in advance as the only place where they wish to be

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legally registered to vote? I don't mind but I like to pay tribute to my

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predecessor for the work he has undertaken. He has left me with a

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rich inheritance. The incident involving Charles Moore is currently

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the subject of an investigation and therefore it would be inappropriate

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for me to comment on it at this time. I note that the Law Commission

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report includes recommendations on electoral residents which the

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government will respond to in due course. May I welcome the Minister

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to his position and say I look forward to working with him but I do

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think there is a frightening complacency in the answer to the

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questions so far. The Prime Minister spoke recently on the steps of

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Downing Street about the disenfranchised. Does he not realise

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that it was the voting system itself that disenfranchises many of our

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citizens, particularly at 16 and 17-year-olds and those who broke

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from minor parties and will he not now commit in this government to

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renewing our system to make it more fair and democratic? The government

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is committed to ensuring that we have a democracy that works for

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everyone. Already the introduction of individual electoral registration

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has made it easier to register to vote than ever before, with 20

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million applications online since 2014. The Electoral Commission's

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report from 2016 shows that electoral registers are not only

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more complete than ever before but are critically more accurate than

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ever. But we recognise as a government there is always more to

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do and are committed to a programme of registration among vulnerable

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groups in order to engage in democracy. Question three. The

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boundary commissions for England and Wales will be publishing their

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initial registrations in September and the boundary for commission in

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Scotland later this year. The Boundary Commission for Northern

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Ireland has published the recommendations yesterday. The

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conduct or the boundary review is a matter for the independent boundary

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commissions. The initial proposals will be the subject of extensive

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consultation between political parties and local communities after

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which revised proposals will be published at a later date. I thank

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the Minister for his response and welcome him to his position where I

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am sure he will make an excellent job. Does the Minister agree that if

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the boundary review is to achieve constituencies of equal size, by the

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next election, then these factors would need to be taken into

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consideration? During every previous boundary review, Parliament has

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accepted there must be a defined date and a set of register to

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access. This was set down as a result of the 2013 review, voted for

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by Labour members. Those who now seek to delay the boundary review

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even further not only seek to overturn the accepted will of

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Parliament but also to delay the boundary review again, ensuring

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constituencies that are both dramatically and equal size are

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based on data over two decades old. The boundary review next week is

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going to be a sham. Nearly 2 million voters haven't been counted of. Why

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doesn't the Minister start again so our democracy is not undermined by

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next week's partisan gerrymandering? Without the limitation of these

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reforms, legislated by a majority in the previous parliament, then this

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will continue to represent constituencies that were drawn up on

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data over 20 years ago. This regarding significant changes in the

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population since that has happened. The status quo at cannot and will

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not be an option and in future boundary reviews will also take

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place every five years to ensure constituencies remain up-to-date, as

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they should be. The number of electors in Welsh

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constituencies varies greatly. My constituency is roughly in the

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middle with 40 8000. Does the Minister agree that it can't be

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right for each of these constituencies to elect one MP when

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the number of voters within them is so radically different? Absolutely

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right, we cannot continue with the historic injustice of such unequal

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representation. Representation that allows the one seat to be twice the

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size of another or to allow one elector's wrote to be worth twice

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that of another. This injustice, long recognised, must be resolved. I

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congratulate the honourable gentleman on his well-deserved

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promotion to the Treasury bench. In the past, ministers have argued that

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cutting the number of MPs will save the taxpayer ?12 million. The exact

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amount of money the previous Prime Minister has spent on his list of

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honours. This boundary redistribution is proceeding on the

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basis of a register where 2 million people are excluded. Is that not an

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affront to democracy? He is right to recognise that cutting the number of

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MPs from 650 600 will not only save ?12 million but ?66 million over the

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course of a parliament. At time when many areas of public life have found

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savings, it is right we should put our own house in order. We should

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establish the democratic principle of equal sized constituencies. First

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called for it by the chartists in 1834 and endorsed by the committee

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for standards in public life. All departments are looking to get the

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best deal for the whole of Britain. The Cabinet Office it that is

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helping co-ordinated that effort. The shape Whitehall comes in at a

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time when many people feel Whitehall will not be able to cope with the

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scale of negotiations. With exit negotiations looming, rather than

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laying off civil servants, is it not time the civil service was properly

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resourced? I reject the honourable Lady's assertions, the civil

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servants is one of the finest in the world. It has risen to the challenge

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of the immediate opportunities that face us as a country. That is why I

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am glad we have been able to resourced the two departments so

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successfully. The secretaries of state art content with that. May I

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congratulate my right honourable friend on his new position and say

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how much we on the public administration committee look

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forward to working with them. As well as focusing on resource in and

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machinery. Our enquiry into the civil service will focus on civil

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servants leadership. Does he agree we need to develop stronger

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leadership in the civil service, the right attitude for which a high

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functioning organisation is based. I look forward to continuing my

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long-standing relationship with the chairman of public and Constitution

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committee. I agree with him entirely about his point. We want the senior

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talent team in the civil servants. They have their work cut out to make

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sure we can do even better. In the context of the recent machinery of

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government changes, when will we know who will have lead

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responsibility for cross government coordination with the British Irish

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Council which relates to all eight administrations in this island? I

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say to the honourable gentleman that I retain responsibility for the

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constitution as a whole, as does the Cabinet Office. I will write a

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detailed reply to this question so he can have the satisfaction of

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that. The government is determined that those whose personal safety

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would be at risk if their details appeared on the register should be

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able to register anonymously. I have arranged to meet with the women's

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aid to discuss their concerns over the process of anonymous

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registration and have written to the Minister for women and equality is

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to look at plans for regulation on this policy. Thank you for the

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information he has just given. You have acknowledged that some domestic

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violence victims do not choose to go to the police and do not have access

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as a result. I look forward to you announcing the steps that could

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take. Gray order, this is very unfair. The honourable lady is

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asking a question about help for victims of domestic violence who

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wish to register to vote anonymously. I really think the

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house should be attentive to this matter. Thank you Mr Speaker. I am

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pleased you add knowledge the difficulties that these women have

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in registering. I look forward to what steps you roll out in the

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future, it is difficult to register to vote to to the limited number of

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officers and women do not have easy access to those people. That this on

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Friday and -- disenfranchises them. I thank her for raising this issue,

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those who have left are messed it violence to seek a new life, they

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are some of the most vulnerable in society but also they are some of

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the bravest. Today I can announce the government will look closely

:17:13.:17:18.

with appropriate charities and the honourable member because nobody

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should be denied the opportunity to vote. I've thank the Minister and I

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welcome him to his position. He will be replying to a letter I wrote when

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I was reporting on this topic. I warmly welcomed what he has said

:17:36.:17:39.

today. He could clean things up by adding to the list of the domestic

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violence protection orders and I would urge him to do that speedily?

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I thank her for the question. I appreciated receiving the letter, it

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was one of the first things I was determined to act on. It is a

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slightly more complex situation, to change the regulations, it would

:18:02.:18:06.

require a change in primary legislation but the government will

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review aspects of this policy. Most victims of domestic abuse never

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report that abuse to the police. Will the government review the

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regulation so these women are able to register anonymously. I refer my

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honourable friend to the answer I have just given. Question number

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seven. Mr Speaker, the government is investing ?2.25 million in digital

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services over the next four years to recast the relationship between the

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people we seek to serve and the state. There is more to come and we

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are doing a lot but there is more to do. May I join the congratulations

:18:50.:18:56.

to the Minister in his new role. Turn us back to the use of digital

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technology in the NHS. How could we better use sharing services to

:19:05.:19:13.

reduce incidents in the NHS? My honourable friend is entirely right

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that it will be a digital solution that will bring the most advantage

:19:17.:19:21.

to the area of the health service that she identifies. I am glad that

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the close working of the health and safety investigation Branch and NHS

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improvement and the NHS litigation authority enabled through digital

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will mean we can reduce the number of events. Thank you Mr Speaker,

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ensuring the digital technology at pace, what steps are the government

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taking to make sure that the hacking of such technology decreases and is

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eliminated? The honourable gentleman is entirely right, hacking poses a

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serious threat to the infrastructure and I will have more announcements

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in the next few week which I hope will colour the detail he is

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seeking. Topical question. The Cabinet Office is responsible for

:20:14.:20:17.

delivering a democracy that works for everyone. And driving efficiency

:20:18.:20:22.

and reforms to make government work better. At a time where the

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government are reducing 50 members of this are elected house of

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parliament, is it right that we keep 100 hereditary peers in another

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place? It is not for me to revisit the arguments about the House of

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Lords here. As our manifesto made clear, it is not a priority of this

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government. He would be glad to know that we have reduced the cost of the

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House of Lords considerably. The house was courteous to the Minister

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as the Minister has been to the house, that would be a great

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advance. User-friendly and watertight. The Minister previously

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alluded to the report by the member for Brentwood and an girl, I wonder

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if he is able to commit to the full thrust to allow our system to

:21:30.:21:34.

continue? My honourable friend is absolutely right. We must take

:21:35.:21:38.

electoral fraud very seriously. The April 2015 election court judgment

:21:39.:21:43.

in Tower Hamlets exposed worrying electoral fraud and corruption.

:21:44.:21:47.

There is a range of measures to tackle such fraud and the government

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will consider this and give a full response in due course. Welcome back

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Mr Speaker and a warm welcome to the new ministerial team. I congratulate

:21:59.:22:03.

them all on their appointment. We look forward to a positive working

:22:04.:22:06.

relationship with them, holding them to account and making a difference

:22:07.:22:10.

where we can. Might I also apologise Mr Speaker for Mike friend, the

:22:11.:22:14.

member for land Koster and Fleetwood, a new member of my team,

:22:15.:22:19.

she is on her honeymoon and can't be with us today. I am sure we all wish

:22:20.:22:25.

her well in her marriage. Let me reassure the ministerial team that

:22:26.:22:31.

my colleague may be on her honeymoon but the honeymoon period for the

:22:32.:22:35.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Ulster is well and truly over. I have been

:22:36.:22:39.

asking a series of questions -- the Duchy of Lancaster. Can I ask any

:22:40.:22:48.

member of this team, where is he today and what does he actually do?

:22:49.:22:57.

He has asked a number of questions, I will relate his questions to the

:22:58.:23:00.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, but he is responsible for

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the Duchy of Lancaster. What departmental responsibilities does

:23:10.:23:12.

he have and how is he carrying them out? He sits on a number of

:23:13.:23:19.

important Cabinet committees and another responsibilities that I am

:23:20.:23:22.

sure the Right honourable gentleman will find out in due course. Thank

:23:23.:23:29.

you Mr Speaker, can the Minister tell the house whether the Cabinet

:23:30.:23:32.

Office will play an important role in coordinating the exit

:23:33.:23:37.

negotiations from the EU and the activities to make sure they help

:23:38.:23:49.

them come to an agreement? My right honourable friend will be pleased

:23:50.:23:53.

that my job in this is to serve. I will make sure my right honourable

:23:54.:23:56.

friends have all the resources they need in order to do their report on

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job of work to make sure we make a success of the exit. The office

:24:01.:24:09.

which serves my constituency is to close by 2020, due to a modernising

:24:10.:24:16.

service. Order. This situation is intolerable. The honourable

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gentleman is entitled to be heard. I want to hear the honourable

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gentleman, can he be assured of it? During recess, government digital

:24:30.:24:32.

services lost its second rector general within a year and received

:24:33.:24:37.

resignation of chief digital officers in other departments. What

:24:38.:24:44.

steps is the minister taking to get the government digital provision

:24:45.:24:48.

under control and ensure people have access to reliable online services?

:24:49.:24:53.

I have to say I am proud what the government digital service has

:24:54.:24:56.

achieved in the last year. It is rated the foremost digital service

:24:57.:25:00.

in the world. I am pleased to welcome the new director-general. It

:25:01.:25:05.

is the first time that office has had a rector general, he had a fine

:25:06.:25:09.

pedigree in the private sector and he will bring that knowledge to the

:25:10.:25:13.

digital office. What progress has been made on the

:25:14.:25:32.

audit into racial disparities in public service? I am glad to hear my

:25:33.:25:40.

honourable friend endorse the words of the Prime Minister on the steps

:25:41.:25:44.

of Downing Street. She will be glad to know we have already had a

:25:45.:25:48.

substantial meeting to discuss the remit of the racial disparity audit.

:25:49.:25:52.

It will uncover uncomfortable truths but unless we do that, we cannot

:25:53.:25:56.

face up to those burning injustices that remain in our country. Mr

:25:57.:26:03.

Speaker, does he agree with the Lord Speaker that membership of the House

:26:04.:26:06.

of Lords should be less than that of the commons? The other place has an

:26:07.:26:14.

important role in drafting legislation as a revising chamber.

:26:15.:26:17.

The government is clear that an unelected chamber should not block

:26:18.:26:22.

the will of the commons. The manifesto was clear that reform of

:26:23.:26:25.

the House of Lords is needed and we have since ignored and reforms

:26:26.:26:29.

including the retirement of peers. Over 150 peers have left the chamber

:26:30.:26:37.

since 2010. The operating costs have also fallen by 14% since 2010. Last

:26:38.:26:47.

but not least, Caroline Ansell. The government recognises how vital

:26:48.:26:50.

small and medium enterprises are to our nation 's fortunes. It is

:26:51.:26:56.

increasingly looking to see how it can open government contracts to

:26:57.:27:00.

them. Last month launching a new resource. What more can the Minister

:27:01.:27:05.

and I do to seal the deal for local businesses in Eastbourne and

:27:06.:27:11.

Willingdon with the government? My honourable friend is entirely right,

:27:12.:27:15.

small and medium-sized enterprises power this nation and we hope the

:27:16.:27:19.

negotiations we begin will unleash them even further into the global

:27:20.:27:23.

market that Britain will be able to exploit. She is also right to say we

:27:24.:27:29.

should give more contract to small and medium-sized enterprises and we

:27:30.:27:32.

beat our target in the last Parliament, we have an ambitious

:27:33.:27:36.

target of more than a third of projects and I had to work with her

:27:37.:27:37.

to make sure we achieve that target. I would like to congratulate the

:27:38.:28:04.

British Olympic team on a great medical -- medal haul, finishing

:28:05.:28:14.

second, in front of China. CHEERING I know everyone would wish to give

:28:15.:28:19.

the very best wishes to our Paralympic athletes and wish them

:28:20.:28:24.

the best of success. This morning I had meetings with ministerial

:28:25.:28:26.

colleagues and others, and I will have further such meetings later

:28:27.:28:33.

today. May I add my warm wishes to those, all Paralympians and those

:28:34.:28:38.

from Bristol in particular,

:28:39.:28:39.

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