Live Cabinet Office Questions House of Commons

budget into law. Please join me for

a round-up of all that at 11am --

11pm, but first, David Lidington,

and his team of ministers.

Order,

order, questions to the Minister for

the Cabinet Office. And to the

Chancellor of the Duchy of

Lancaster. Minister Chloe Smith.

With your permission I will take

questions one and 11 together, we

published the Democratic engagement

plan last December, setting out

engagement on unregistered groups,

understanding of engagement

barriers, and a commitment to

tackling them. This year we are

already developing a number of

products focusing on young people

and links to the Centenary

celebrations.

-- delivering. The

electoral roll would be a good place

to start a strategy like that,

perfectly good at finding as when

they want tax and yet, an estimated

6 million people, younger, urban

voters, particularly those in ethnic

minorities, missing from the

electoral roll. Everyone in

government registers do the benefits

system, tax system should be on the

electoral roll. Ben True change

based on the flawed register,

undemocratic sham, why is the

government working to make it more

difficult to vote rather than

addressing this national scandal?

To

long, too long, Minister.

He was not

listening to my answer, we are not

making it more difficult to register

to vote, we have set out a full pint

to make it easier to do so for those

groups who need it most and I will

take the opportunity to make clear,

we have a number of record highs on

the register, since the introduction

in 2014, over 30 million people have

registered to vote, head of the

general election last year there was

a record number of additional

applications to register submitted.

-- 13 million. The electoral

register as reached a record level,

40 million electors, and we should

be proud about.

The turnout of my

constituency in Glasgow North East

was 53% at the last election, well

below the national average, also

happens to be an area with some of

the lowest incomes and highest

unemployment in the country.

Research as shown that low income

workers and long-term unemployed

people report more levels of radical

knowledge and... Than those from

other occupational background. Given

that they are less likely to be on

the...

Order, order, sit down.

What

I want is a single sentence

question, these prepared screeds...

These prepared screeds are too long,

forgive me, it is not fair to

colleagues. Single sentence.

Given

they are less likely to be on the

electoral register, what will you do

to actively engage them and get them

on the electoral register?

A range

of being set out as I say in the

Democratic and Jake and plan, I look

forward to working further with him

and people across parties in this

house and outside of it. --

democratic engagement band. To make

sure that those eligible to vote

will do so.

Can the Minister confirm

how she's ensuring survivors of

domestic violence can participate in

the elections?

My honourable friend

is absolutely right to raise this as

a very important point, again, one

which we should be proud of,

cross-party, here we see, in this

House of Commons, only last night,

honourable members supporting ways

to make it easier for survivors of

domestic abuse to be on the

register, that is something we

should be proud of in this Centenary

year.

Would my honourable friend

agree that by way of -- one way of

increasing participation is by a

care and trusted voting system, will

the government look at how they can

roll out first past the post in more

English elections?

My honourable

friend reminds us that in the

Conservative manifesto for 2017, was

the commitment to maintain first

past the post as the way that we

vote in this country and to roll it

out to additional elections and I

look forward to speaking to him

further about that.

It is clear that

disabled people are underrepresented

in our democracy and politics but in

2015, her government abolished the

access to a elected office fund

which supported many disabled people

in meeting extra costs in standing

for office. How can the government

claim that they are making democracy

more accessible when these financial

barriers are put in their place?

Minister.

The piece of evidence I am

working on at the moment, is a call

to evidence that came back from how

to make voting in elections more

accessible for those with

disabilities and it is important to

note that we would be talking about

a range of disabilities, not just

those that may be visible, that is

something I am keen to focus on, I

look forward to working further with

her in ensuring that people with any

disability, not only can feel able

to participate in elections as

candidates but crucially to register

to vote.

Isn't it right that despite

concerns raised, individual

electoral registration has increased

the role and helps to reduce fraud?

This is absolutely correct,

according to a 2016 report from the

Electoral Commission, both

completeness and accuracy have risen

and we should aim to keep it that

way.

Given the government's

determination to end freedom of

movement to and from this country

might this now be an appropriate

time to embrace the principle,

everyone legally resident in this

country should have a say in its

governance? Would she consider

bringing forward proposals to allow

those who are born in other

countries but who decide to stay and

make this country there are home

after Brexit to allow them the right

to vote?

I am considering this point

because there are a number of points

which needs to be taken into account

as we complete an orderly exit from

the European Union but the point

more broadly around this, if

somebody has citizenship in this

country they have the right to vote

and we think that is correct.

Minister for the Cabinet Office.

With your permission, I will take

questions number two, number six and

number seven together, the

government stated in its manifesto

commitment to maintain the voting

age at 18, we therefore have no

plans to lower the voting age in

elections, we continue to believe

the voting age should stay aligned

with the age of majority at 18, the

point at which many other the rights

and obligations are acquired, and in

line with international comparators.

With growing support for both 16 on

the government own benches,

including two former Education

Secretary is, the members for Putney

and Loughborough, isn't the right

honourable George Osborne right when

he says the government does not have

a majority to stop this anymore and

it may as well get on and embrace it

and get credit. -- including two

former Education Secretarys.

The

responsible thing for the government

to do is to stand by not just the

policy that we stood on in the

recent general election but on what

we believe to be right and I think

that it is right that the age of

majority at 18 is the one where

every man and woman in this country

acquires both the full right and the

full responsibilities of adult

citizenship.

Dick Steen and

17-year-olds are too childish to

vote, apparently, does that not all

so apply in their ability to vote in

preservative leadership elections?

LAUGHTER

-- if 16 and 17-year-olds.

We are

talking about a decision in electing

the parliament and the government of

the country, and while there are

some 16 and 17-year-olds who

exercise and demonstrate in their

lives and enormous responsibilities,

it is also the case that we make a

general protection in our law for 16

and 17-year-old, for example,

through the criminal justice system.

That is another way in which we

recognise at 18 is on average the

right point in time, to make the

judgment.

Last week, my local

authority, Rochdale Borough Council,

approved a motion, supporting votes

at 16, that received cross-party

support, when will the Minister drag

himself into the 21st-century and

get in line with the progressive and

forward-thinking councillors

representing the Borough of

Rochdale?

I'm always genuinely

interested to hear what is happening

in Rochdale Council, I would draw

the honourable Lady's attention to

the fact that 26 of 27 European

partners, Canada, Australia, New

Zealand and the United States all

have a voting age that begins at 18,

I don't think those countries can be

fairly be said to not be in the

21st-century.

Can I encourage our

right honourable friend to follow

the wise examples of the Labour

government, 13 years in office,

radical constitutional changes but

did not bring forward proposals to

reduce the voting age to 16 for very

good reasons.

My right honourable

friend is spot on, not only that but

the last Labour government took a

deliberate decision to increase from

16 to 18 the age at which somebody

could buy cigarettes, purchase

knives and even use a sunbed.

Can I

just agree so much with everything

that my right honourable friend is

saying, isn't the real answer to all

of this to look at all of the laws,

pertaining to the age of majority,

and actually have laws that make

sense because as he identifies, you

are not deemed old enough at 17 to

be able to use a sunbed, you can get

married at 16 with the permission of

your parents but you cannot buy a

drink and celebrate it, and drive a

car until are 17. The law is all

over the place, it needs a proper

review, isn't that the way forward?

I think my honourable friend makes

an interesting and valid point and I

would add to that that of course we

make specific protections in our

law, in respect of criminal justice

and asylum system, recognising that

people under the age of 18 need

special protection.

Thank you. During a debate in 2015,

the member from the original said, I

am one of those who believes we

should allow voting at 16. Since

then, a range of other senior

Conservatives have outlined their

support, including the former

councillor who said that the

Conservative Party whisks being on

the wrong side of history if it

refused to back the measure. Will

the Minister agree with his

colleague and support a vote at 16?

I stand by the manifesto that I do

all in in 2017 and as has been made

clear this afternoon, by the

position of which the Labour Party

to for the 13 years it was last in

Government!

Number three.

Mr

Speaker, we are working hard to make

sure that United Kingdom adduces as

you'll have enough chance to compete

with winning contracts. I propose

changes to the procurement

guidelines to make sure that

opportunity is greater for producers

in the UK including those in Corby.

As my honourable friend is very

aware, in Corby, we produce

brilliant quality steel tubes so

what others of different that they

believe those public sector

procurement rules are making to our

steel industry and will he join the

outing the use of British Steel at

every opportunity?

I am happy to

join him in history to be

Steelworkers of Corby and the steel

industry in the United Kingdom more

generally. The guidelines they

introduced mean that purchasing

laboratories that you take into

account the wider social economic

benefits that UK producers can bring

so that the contracts are not a lot

of money basis of cost alone. It is

also the case that every public

authority is now required to

incorporate criteria in all major

projects.

When Molly Government Gary

at their commitments to publish the

performance of the Department of

Government?

I hope we can do that

later this year. The most recent

information that I have a that the

Government apartments are committed

to following the guidelines but we

are carrying out checks to make sure

that is being followed through as

well as the letter.

The Art of my

constituency, we produce a

architecturally significant steel

structures such as the 2012 Olympic

Stadium and the orbits culture. Will

my honourable friend do all they can

to ensure the procurement buys

British and from Bolton?

We want to

see both public and private sector

customers by British Steel whenever

possible anti-government has

published a pipeline of future

public procurement needing steel to

make sure we can plan to take part

in that.

Question four.

The

Government is committed to ethical

procurement, that is why the social

value act considers the social

benefit of the approach. The

industrial strategy also consider

the economic factors in design of

the major Government contracts.

With

the response, with the whole report

between ultra-processed foods and

writing at the city, with adults not

eating your five a day, what can

need procurement process do to

ensure a healthy, sustainable eating

and source of the British producers?

I think he honourable lady raises a

very important point. As I said, the

public services social value act

actually enables patrollers to take

into account those wider factors and

also encourage a so-called approach

of procurement that wouldn't wider

factors and rolled it out for all

contract over £10 million. We extend

into the facilities management

framework which again look to making

this more available.

What

likeability will be yielded from

Brexit in public comment?

Minister.

The lack one of the advantages of

Brexit izzard provides a wide range

of opportunities for us to tailor

our procurement rules DD needs of

the country and once we have left

the EU, we will look at exactly

those measures.

What certainty that

the minister have that there is no

direct or indirect gender

discrimination anywhere in this

Government's Supply chain?

In

October of last year, the Government

produced a code of conduct in

relation to govern procurement which

covered exactly those points and

that is dealt with any document.

Question five.

Small businesses are

the backbone of our economy. We are

committed to supporting them in

securing public sector contracts.

Our aspiration remains to spend one

third of our procurement spend with

them by the end of 2022.

I thank my

honourable friend for his answer.

Does he agree that the individual

Government apartments are crucial

roles to play in promoting small

businesses and Gromit in order to

deliver greater diversity any firms

awarded Government contract?

I

completely agree. We are working

with the departments to the Crown

commercial SNE actions department by

department, with every departure

putting in place both a ministerial

lead and a senior official with a

role to champion small businesses

and the figures so far showing that

more than half of Government

apartments have increased the

proportion in our spend on SNE.

When

they start the major work on this

building, which will be a massive

multi-million pound infrastructure

project, will be given to ensure

small businesses all around the

country get contract and not just

the big corporations?

I certainly

hope that'll be the case and I

believe our guidelines and approach

to different Government apartments

will encourage small business to

secure those opportunities but it'll

be a matter for the cancelled as

well.

Thank you. With your

permission, I'll take questions

eight and ten together. The Cabinet

Office working in close partnership

with all piloting local authorities

to ensure each pilot have a tailored

and brands of awareness raising

campaign encouraging eligible voters

to bring IDE duty-bound station.

Reset conducted by the Royal

National Institute for the Blind has

found that the polling cards in the

Government pilot are still

inaccessible for blind and partially

sighted people and often get

mistaken for junk mail. What

guarantee can the Government make

that restrictive ID requirements

will not disenfranchise disabled

voters?

This is an extremely good

point and it is exactly the kind of

thing I was referring to in my

earlier and zany Culver evidence as

to how there disabilities may be in

some ways disempowered from using

the registration of voting system.

In this particular case, I'm exactly

piloting local authorities to look

carefully at that issue in their own

work and I will undertake to do sell

as well from the point of view of

the Cabinet Office.

What guarantee

is can be made to those who cannot

currently access photographic ID

that they will now be able to

without incurring a personal cost?

Again, the local authorities

involved in the pilot ensuring that

maybe they will be excluded that the

honourable gentleman may fear. They

will be providing idea the voter

does not have it, in the format of

bar-coded posed card type voting

polling cards. We have to make sure

we do pilots to test this out.

The

election team and then another one

of these pilot. But the Minister

agree with me that it is staggering

that Labour opposed to a change that

is no different to collecting a

parcel from the post office?

I think

that is absolutely right and I think

anybody who may oppose these

measures should think very

carefully. We do already ask that

people prove who they are many go to

collect a parcel, rent a home, buy a

home, rent a car, travel, it is a

normal thing to do is to use IDE in

everyday life.

One sentence only.

Short. Yell Magda Linette voter ID

is required in Northern Ireland,

will this be rolled out across the

country as quickly as possible so

that all actions are free and fair?

I will be looking closely at the

result of these pilots to evaluate

whether it is possible to get

further with them. My priority here

is to do what we can to stand out

eligible fraud. Fraud is not a

victimless crime. You have your vote

and used it to have it stolen and

that is what I'm looking for here.

Thank you. In the context of these

trials forcing people to show ID to

vote, any context of individual

eligible registration seen 2 million

people fall off the register and now

it seems proposal is to make postal

votes harder to obtain cover lies at

every change the cover and bring in

makes it harder for people to vote?

Wireless gather people voting?

Mr

Speaker, the honourable gentleman is

blowing something here out of all

proportion. Let's not forget we

already use IDE to register to vote.

What we're talking about here is

proving the person who is voting is

the same on is that you registered.

Let me return to an early answer.

The accuracy and completeness of the

register has increased. He is a

misunderstanding his own point.

Topical questions for the Chancellor

and Minister of the Cabinet Office.

Number one.

I was pleased to be able

to announce that Mr Justice lines

that with service chair for the

independent enquiry into the

independent blood scandal. Even in

experience Judge I'm confident will

conduct a thorough enquiry over the

coming weeks, speaking to those

affected to set up rental terms of

reference for the Government

providing all the support he needs.

The Minister's answer could hardly

be heard. Amber Valley. Nigel Mills.

Kenny confirm what plans he has two

include democratic participation in

relation to women's suffrage?

During

this year, we will host the first

national democracy week,

establishing a council to help

deliver a unified programme events

up and down the country. That will

help have those who are not

currently represented represented on

the electoral roll and inspire young

people and women in the story is

offered in our democracy.

All of us

in the house will have been saddened

last week by the tragic death of a

homeless man yards away. Can the

Minister tell class how the Cabinet

Office is working with all

departments to ensure this crisis is

resolved quickly?

Any such there is

a tragedy. The Government had

established an interministerial

group to drive forward our objective

of passing wrath sleeping by 2022

and eliminating King altogether by

2027 and I am playing an active part

in that. -- eliminating rough

sleeping altogether.

What Wright is

to reversible is this outside of

London and is Scotland not

considered an excellent destination

for this?

The Government is

committed to moving activities away

from London and the south-east.

There is a presumption that all new

non-departmental body should be

outside of London so we have created

Government hubs across the UK,

including Edinburgh and Glasgow and

I think the honourable gentleman

make a marvellous case for allegedly

more such opportunities in Scotland.

In my constituency, we are being

decommissioned and I think the

Government should work in harmony to

encourage future employment for

people in my constituency. Canada

and Australia typify job working

levels of Government, Willie

Minister Gregory hardly to ensure

the Scottish U and UK governments

work together to a lady fears of my

constituents and provide future

employment?

I completely understand

the importance of this for the

honourable gentleman's constituency.

The environ. That he is about making

sure all of the United Kingdom

benefits from a new industrial

opportunities now open to us. My

honourable friend will work with the

Scottish Government to make sure

that is delivered.

Too few of our

small businesses applied to provide

contract for Government because of

the bureaucracy involved. What

guarantees and feedback can be given

for when they do?

The honourable

gentleman raise an important point.

Small businesses are the engine of

economy and we are dedicated to

supporting them in public

procurement. That is likely

streamline these processes to

abolish complex questionnaires and

specifically in relation to too much

bureaucracy, they can report such

practices to the mystery shopper

service.

Thank you. On what date

with our Government officials first

instructed to work on draft

amendments to clause 11 of the EU

withdrawal Bill? Girl-mac work on

clause 11 has been going on for a

long time and to deliver on our

commitment to table an amendment

during the preceding ten House of

Lords. If you only possible, with

the agreement of the Scottish and

Welsh Government.

Will my honourable

friend mark the centenary of women's

suffrage by giving governments

support to my horrible friend and

neighbour, a member from the

Derbyshire was an activity selected

Bill to enfranchise those British

citizens who have lost the right to

vote?

Yes, I intend to seek on the

Governmentat the half on Friday in

that bill. This is an important

manifesto promise and I hope it will

gather cross party support. Goal

thank you for my colleagues in

Edinburgh will be voting today to

scrap the public pay cap. The 3%

rise for those earning under

£36,000. When the public service

workers in England see a similar pay

rise?

Public service workers are

among the most pounded and

hard-working people in this side and

we believe they should be fairly

rewarded. In respect to the Cabinet

Office, the budget confirmed the

moving away from the 1% average

public sector pay award and

proposals will be issued later this

year.

Thank you. Can I wish my

honourable friend every success with

the forthcoming meeting he is having

with the Scottish and Welsh

Government this week?

Will he invite them to be the same?

My honourable friend is right to

point to the importance of all parts

of the United Kingdom are working to

to deliver an orderly, smooth

Brexit. We want to work in

partnership with Scottish and Welsh

Government to deliver a big increase

in powers devolved to their

parliaments and governments.

Can I

welcome the announcement about the

appointment of Sir Brian Langstaff

of the judge to the public proposal

of looking at contaminated blood.

Then we'll get a family 's first

approach to the public enquiry and

the lobby and outward facing

secretary act to support all those

affected and the meetings will be

held around the regions and nations

of this