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  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 and the potential effect of such a repeal on the Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Government was elected with a manifesto pledge to replace the Human Rights Act with a UK Bill of Rights.

    Discussions with all of the devolved administrations have been held and that engagement will continue.

    Our reform proposals will be consistent with our obligations under the Belfast Agreement.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on the economy in Northern Ireland of the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Government is clear that we are safer, stronger and better off in the EU.

    Reports by HM Treasury are clear that leaving the EU would bring serious economic costs that would affect businesses, jobs, living standards and public finances for decades to come.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to help strengthen the economy of Northern Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Government’s long term economic plan to strengthen the economy is delivering for the UK and for Northern Ireland.

    By cutting the deficit, reducing business taxes and encouraging investment in enterprise and innovation we are making Northern Ireland a more competitive and attractive place to do business.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to reach an agreement with political parties in Northern Ireland on how to deal with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    This Government has made more progress on this issue than any of our predecessors and we remain committed to establishing the legacy bodies contained in the Stormont House Agreement.

    I have continued to meet representatives from Northern Ireland political parties and victims’ groups to try to build the consensus needed to allow legislation to be brought forward.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle low pay in Northern Ireland.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    This Government is committed to delivering a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society.

    That is why we have introduced the new National Living Wage of £7.20 which will benefit 100,000 people in Northern Ireland and increase annual wages by up to £900.

  • Lord De Mauley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord De Mauley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord De Mauley on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of each of the issues raised in the response of the British Horse Society to their consultation on a draft cycling and walking investment strategy.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We are now analysing the feedback received during the draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy eight week consultation period, which closed on Monday 23 May. We expect to publish the final Strategy this summer along with a Government response to the consultation.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is permissible for the ballot papers sent to postal voters to be a different colour to the ballot papers issued in a corresponding polling station.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Ballot papers for any given poll have a consistent appearance in order to reduce the risk of completed votes being identifiable as having been submitted by a particular voter or voters when they are verified and counted. That could happen if, for example, coloured ballot papers were used for postal voting (but not voting in person) and there was low use of them. Different coloured ballot papers are already used to help voters distinguish between different polls where polls are combined, and further use of different colours could lead to confusion.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the present design of ballot papers for persons with difficulties of sight.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The design of ballot papers used in elections and referendums in the UK was revised by the last Government to make them clearer and easier to understand for voters. The changes were subject to a programme of user-testing involving representative samples of the voting public. RNIB, who were consulted on the changes, considered that they did not raise significant issues for blind and partially sighted people

    Returning Officers are required to display an enlarged version of the ballot paper in each polling station and provide upon request a large hand-held sample copy to assist visually impaired electors to vote. They must also ensure each polling station is equipped with a tactile voting device to assist blind / partially sighted electors. This device has raised numbers and numbers in Braille and fits over the ballot paper. When the Presiding Officer or a companion reads out the list of candidates or parties to the voter, it enables them to cast their vote independently and in secret.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the planned removal of parliamentary immunity from a large number of elected deputies in the Grand National Assembly, in particular from the Peoples’ Democratic Party; and whether they plan to make representations to the government of Turkey about its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and NATO.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The lifting of parliamentary immunity is a matter for the Turkish parliament. As a modern democracy and candidate for EU accession, we would expect Turkey to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and fully respect the rule of law.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the arrest in Diyarbakir on 10 May of Mr Kamuran Yüksek of the Democratic Region Party and make appropriate representations to the government of Turkey.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK as well as in Turkey, continues to mount deadly terrorist attacks in Turkey, particularly in the country’s south-east. In the course of security operations in that region, a number of Democratic Regions Party officials have been detained, including Kamuran Yüksek. We regularly urge the Turkish authorities to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, in the course of anti-terror operations, and to support the rule of law. We will continue to monitor these issues closely.