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CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Electoral Pilots (May 2006)
The Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Ms Harriet Harman):
My hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, has made the following written ministerial statement in the other place yesterday.
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"The Government is continuing to look at ways to modernise our electoral system and to increase the opportunities that people have to vote. To test the effectiveness and robustness of these innovations and to build public confidence in them, we are continuing to conduct a programme of pilots in 2006 which maintains the momentum that was started in 2000.
With this aim in mind, at the end of October 2005, in conjunction with the Electoral Commission, we issued a prospectus inviting expressions of interest from local authorities seeking to run electoral pilots at the May 2006 local elections.
Today I am pleased to announce that I have accepted 16 applications from local authorities to hold pilots at the May 2006 local elections. The names of the successful local authorities are attached at the end of this statement. A background paper providing further details on the pilots has been placed in the House Library.
trials of changes to the administration of elections proposed in the Electoral Administration Bill, such as changes to the ballot paper to support more secure efficient production of postal votes and the checking of signatures on postal ballots,
voting in alternative locations such as shopping centres and rural locations to allow us to further test how voting in different locations and at different times can enhance access,
electronic counting of ballots which will build on past work and test how this can be refined to ensure confidence and support future use of technology to gain efficiencies in the administration of elections. This will also enable us to identify how technology can support counting in the different voting systems used in local authority and regional elections.
Some of these pilots will assist us in planning the implementation of the proposals in the Electoral Administration Bill, in ensuring the ongoing integrity of electoral mechanisms and in refining and developing the programme of work for ensuring electoral processes fit with the needs of modern lifestyles.
The next step will be for us, working in consultation with the Electoral Commission and the local authorities, to draw up the statutory orders authorising the pilots.
We are grateful to all local authorities that applied to pilot in May 2006 and are keen to continue to engage local authorities in looking at innovative ways to improve the elections process and take advantage of new technologies."
Spring Supplementary Estimate
The Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Ms Harriet Harman):
Subject to Parliamentary approval of any necessary Supplementary Estimate, the
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Privy Council Office total DEL will be increased by £2,381,000 from £4,451,000 to £6,832,00 and the administration budget will be increased by £2,381,000 from £4,382,000 to £6,709,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital is set out in the following table:
| Change | Voted | Non-voted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource | 2,327 | 6,709 | - | 6,709 |
| Capital | 54 | 161 | - | 161 |
| Depreciation | - | -38 | - | -38 |
| Total | 2,381 | 6,832 | - | 6,832 |
The change in the resource element of the DEL arises from a Machinery of Government change, which transferred the Offices of the House of Commons and House of Lords Chief Whips from the Cabinet Office to the Privy Council Office (£2,097,000), and the take up of end-year flexibility (£230,000).
The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from the transfer of the Offices of the House of Commons and House of Lords Chief Whips from the Cabinet Office (£20,000) and the take up of end-year flexibility (£34,000).
The Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Ms Harriet Harman): Subject to Parliamentary approval of any necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Northern Ireland Court Service and National Archives: Public Records Office and Historical Manuscripts Commission Total Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £38,886,000 from £3,785,906,000 to £3,824,792,000 and the administration budget will be increased by £12,821,000 from £490,081,000 to £502,902,000
Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
* Depreciation, which forms part of resource DEL, is excluded from the total DEL since capital DEL includes capital spending and to include depreciation of those assets would lead to double counting.
The change in the resource element of the Department for Constitutional Affairs DEL arises from:
RfR1 Resource Change: Admin (total increase of £10,242,000)
Transfers from other Government Departments:
(i) £320,000 additional funding from the Cabinet Office for Parliamentary Counsel Office
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(ii) £875,000 increase in resources in relation to the Implementation of the Adoption & Children Act 2002
(iii) £150,000 increase in resources in relation to the 21st Century CJ System.
(iv) £1,230,000 increase in resources in relation to funding for XHIBIT from the Home Office Criminal Justice Information Technology ring fenced funding.
(v) £1,690,000 increase in resources in relation to funding for LIBRA from the Home Office Criminal Justice Information Technology ring fenced funding.
Machinery of Government Transfer:
(vi) £1,035,000 increase in resources from Home Office in relation to Coroner's Reform.
(vii) £1,251,000 increase in resources from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to the Boundary Commission.
(viii) £262,000 increase in resources from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minster in relation to Policy on the conduct of local Government Elections.
(ix) £18,000 increase in resources from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minster in relation to Government Offices.
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(x) £1,350,000 increase in resources for the Single Asylum Fund.
Transfers to other Government Departments:
(xi) £1,240,000 to the Crown Prosecution Service for the Case Progression Tool.
(xii) A reduction of £126,000 to reflect a transfer of budgetary cover to the Department of Trade & Industry for CEHR Funding SR04 & Equalities Review.
(xiii) A reduction of £1,310,000 to reflect a transfer of budgetary cover to the Home Office form the Criminal Justice Information Technology (CJIT) ring fence funding for the Case Progression Tool for the Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP).
(xiv) £3,200,000 increase as a result of clarification on VAT treatment for agency staff.
Transfers between sections within the Estimates:
(xv) A correction of Public Guardianship Office income (£1,289,000) moved from administration resource to program. This results in an increase in the administration budget of £1,289,000.
(xvi) A transfer of £248,000 from administration to programme to correct a previous transfer to the Crown Prosecution service for Liverpool Justice Centre.
RfR1 Resource Change: Programme (total increase of £11,952,000)
Transfers from other Government Departments:
(xvii) £1,868,000 increase in resources in relation to the Implementation of the Adoption & Children Act 2002.
(xviii) A transfer of £150,000 additional funding for the Enforcement Programme.
(xix) £110,000 increase in resources in relation to the funding for EXISSR1.
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Machinery of Government Transfer:
(xx) A transfer of £650,000 from the Home Office in relation to Coroner's Reform.
(xxi) £59,000 increase in resources from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to the Boundary Commission.
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(xxii) £39,690,000 additional spending on Single Asylum Fund.
Transfers to other Government Departments:
(xxiii) A transfer of £2,500,000 to the Crown Prosecution Service for the Charging Initiative.
(xxiv) A transfer of £38,000 to the Department of Trade & Industry for CEHR Funding SR04 & Equalities Review.
(xxv) A transfer of £8,000,000 budgetary cover to the Scottish Executive for increased Judiciary Salary liability.
(xxvi) A transfer of £2,600,000 budgetary cover to the Northern Ireland Court Service for increased Judiciary Salary liability.
(xxvii) A transfer of £4,000,000 budgetary cover to the Northern Ireland Court Service in relation to increased Northern Ireland Legal Service Commission costs.
(xxviii) £6,000,000 reduction to the CLS for the Clarification on VAT treatment for Asylum Legal Aid Bills.
(xxix) £5,900,000 Increase in Appropriation in Aid for Magistrates Courts fee income.
Transfers between sections within the Estimates:
(xxx) A correction of Public Guardianship Office income (£1,289,000) moved from administration resource to program. This results in a decrease in the programme budget of £1,289,000.
(xxxi) A transfer of £248,000 from administration to programme to correct a previous transfer to the Crown Prosecution service for Liverpool Justice Centre.
RfR3 Resource Change: Administration (total increase of £606,000)
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(xxxii) £329,000 in relation to Additional costs for increased work due to the Government of Wales Bill.
Transfers from other Government Departments:
(xxxiii) £57,000 funding for the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
Movements of provision between sections within RfR3:
(xxxiv) £220,000 increase in relation to Non Cash transfer from Assembly to Wales Office to cover increased impairment charges.
The change in the resource element of the Northern Ireland Court Service DEL arises from:
Resource Change: Admin (total decrease of £1,750,000)
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Increase in Appropriations in Aid:
(i) To take up £750,000 additional appropriations in aid to offset project costs incurred by the Northern Ireland Court Service and Northern Ireland Office in respect of the safety camera netting off scheme.
(ii) To take up £1,000,000 additional appropriations in aid to offset a corresponding amount of "other current" expenditure on judicial salaries, non cash costs and lay magistrates fees.
Resource Change: Programme (total increase of £8,509,000)
Transfers from other Government Departments:
(iii) A transfer of non cash funding from the Department of Constitutional Affairs to fund an increased judicial salary liability (£2,600,000).
(iv) A transfer of funding from the Department for Constitutional Affairs to fund additional expenditure on publicly funded legal services (£4,000,000).
(v) Additional expenditure on judicial salaries, non-cash costs and lay magistrates fees offset by additional appropriations in aid (£1,000,000).
(vi) Additional expenditure by Northern Ireland Court Service and Northern Ireland Office arising from the safety camera netting off scheme (£750,000).
(vii) Increase in non cash costs for cost of capital (£1,064,000) and depreciation (£2,700,000) to release additional grant payable to the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission for expenditure on publicly funded legal services (total of £3,764,000). This is offset in DEL terms by a reduction in the resource consumption of the Legal Services Commission.
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(viii) To take up resource EYF for additional expenditure on publicly funded legal services by the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission (£159,000).
The change in the resource element of the National Archives DEL arises from:
The National Archives: Public Record Office and Historical Manuscripts Commission's DEL will be increased by £4,407,000 from £38,616,000 to £43,023,000 and the administration budget will be increased by £3,723,000 from £39,394,000 to £43,117,000.
The change in the resource element of the DEL arises in respect of expenditure on the further development to systems relating to the preservation of records and making these records accessible online. Additionally, to allow The National Archives to develop wider market sales operations, a neutral change is sought to allow for £2.6m of expenditure on events, on wholesale publishing, book purchases and record copying intended for sale through The National Archive's retail sales outlets and wholesale distribution channels. Additional wider market receipts generated by these retail sales of £2.6m offset this expenditure.
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The 2005–06 Main Estimate provided £39.4m administration cost budget. The Spring Supplementary Estimate requests an increase in the original provision of £3.7m, making the new limit £43.1m.
The change in the capital element of the Department for Constitutional Affairs DEL arises from:
RfR1 Capital Change (total increase of £6,620,000)
Transfers from other Government Departments:
(i) £500,000 additional provision for Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP) for the Case Provision Tool.
(ii) £1,500,000 additional provision for the Mental Health Review Tribunal.
(iii) £1,120,000 additional funding for the Case Progression Tool for the Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP).
(iv) £500,000 to provide additional funding for the North Merseyside Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB).
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(v) £3,000,000 in relation to GLMCA Capital Receipts.
(vi) £2,085,000 capital and £7,263,000 capital receipts (reflecting a £5,178,000 profit on disposal). Only the net book value of £2,085,000 will score against capital DEL.
The change in the capital element of the Northern Ireland Court Service DEL arises from:
Capital Change (total increase of £1,000,000)
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF):
(i) Take up of capital EYF to fund refurbishment of accommodation for the Coroners Service (£1,000,000).
The change in the capital element of the National Archive DEL arises from:
Capital Change (total increase of £684,000)
Take up of End-Year Flexibility (EYF)
£0.684m end year flexibility draw down for the development of electronic service delivery and further development of online services for the National Archive website to further improve access to catalogues and records held.
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