Written Answers
Friday 16 January 2015
Devolution: England
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 8 December 2014 (HL3166), what plans they have to hold a referendum in England to ascertain the level of support for an English parliament.[HL3924]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government has no plans to hold a referendum in England to ascertain the level of support for an English Parliament. The Government has published a Command Paper on the implications of devolution for England which contains separate proposals from each of the Coalition parties.
Electoral Register: Young People
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to increase the proportion of young people under 25 registered to vote in the 2015 General Election.[HL3770]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government has introduced online registration in Great Britain. Young people are one of the biggest users of on-line registration to date and over 852,595 have applied to register to vote since June.
On 9 January Government announced that almost £10 million will be given to local authorities and to national activity to boost the number of people registering to vote around the country. This is in addition to the £4.2 million announced last year.
Up to £2.5 million will be used to fund wider activity, including working with national organisations to encourage groups who are not as well represented on the electoral register in general, such as young people including students.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure that Electoral Registration Officers (1) put in place, and (2) execute, effective plans to give (a) attainers, (b) students and (c) 16 to 24 year- olds more generally, the opportunity to register to vote in advance of the next General Election. [HL3945]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are already expected to develop engagement plans to maximise registration levels in their local area, including among young people.
The Government announced on 9 January 2015 that all EROs will receive a share of £6.8 million funding to support their work in driving up registration rates among under registered groups including young people.
The Electoral Commission monitors the performance of EROs in implementing these plans.
Immigrants: Detainees
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce the time some people are held in immigration detention.[HL3989]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Home Office only detains people as a last resort and for the shortest period necessary. The Immigration Act 2014 has introduced changes to streamline the immigration system, most notably the single removal decision, which are intended to reduce the length of time individuals spend in detention. Separately, operational changes in the Home Office case working areas responsible for managing detained cases have introduced improved assurance measures and oversight of detention decisions and reviews, which will ensure that cases are progressed as speedily as possible and thus likely to lead to a reduction in length of detention periods.
Immigration: Poland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 16 December 2014 (HL3409), whether they will now publish the results of their specific consideration of the sustainability of levels of immigration from Poland to the United Kingdom.[HL4017]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Government regularly considers the impact of migration from the European Union and has published research on this issue. In July 2014 the Migration Advisory Committee published its report on the growth of EU and non-EU labour in low-skilled jobs and its impact on the UK. In the same month the Government’s Balance of Competences report on the Free Movement of Persons assessed the effects of EU migration on the labour market and its impact on local communities.
Teachers
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures available for the number of men and women teachers in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales.[HL4047]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The table below provides the full-time equivalent (FTE)[1] and head count
numbers[1] of male and female teachers[2] in service in publicly funded primary and secondary schools in England, November 2013.
Education matters in Wales are a responsibility of the Welsh Government.
| FTE | Head Count | |
[1] Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 teachers.
[2] Includes qualified and unqualified teachers.
[3] Includes local authority maintained nursery schools.