HANSARDCommons03 Feb 20222 contributions

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Ebbsfleet Garden City: Update

The Minister for Housing (Christopher Pincher)
I am today laying a departmental minute to advise that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has received approval from Her Majesty’s Treasury for a remote contingent liability for the Department arising from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation’s investment in the Ebbsfleet central site.
As part of the 2014 Budget, the Government announced plans to create a new garden city—the first in over a century—at Ebbsfleet, north Kent. The Government also established the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, a statutory body that reports to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to bring forward the development of the garden city.
The Ebbsfleet garden city will help provide new homes and support wider economic growth across the Thames estuary.
The departmental minute describes the remote contingent liability DLUHC will incur in relation to EDC entering into an indemnity with HS1 Ltd. The remote contingent liability will remain for the short time that the works will be ongoing and will cease to exist once the occupiers of the land have signed off the works.
The Department will fund any expenditure should any claims be brought forward against EDC, through the normal supply procedure.
[HCWS581]

Elections

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Eddie Hughes)
ConservativeWalsall North
The Elections Bill brings forward changes to our electoral system which are vital to ensure our democracy remains secure, fair, modern and transparent, and I am pleased to update Parliament today with further information on the implementation of two key changes, the extension of the franchise for British citizens living overseas, and the introduction of an online application service and identity verification for absent votes. In addition, today the Government are providing their response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report on the Elections Bill to the Committee.
Overseas electors policy statement
The Government’s 2019 manifesto included a commitment to “make it easier for British expats to vote in [UK] parliamentary elections, and get rid of the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights”.
Through the Elections Bill, the Government are extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections to all British citizens living overseas who have been previously registered to vote or previously resident in the UK. In addition to extending the franchise, the changes will facilitate participation by making it easier for overseas electors to remain on the register with an absent vote arrangement in place ahead of elections.
The Bill, and the secondary legislation which will flow from it, will also deliver improvements and consequential amendments to the registration process for overseas electors, including the processes by which applicants have their identity and connection to their relevant previous UK address verified.
To provide further information on these proposals, I am today publishing a policy statement setting out the key changes in the Elections Bill, as well as the Government’s intention for associated secondary legislation, which will set out further requirements regarding how those changes will work in practice.

Ebbsfleet Garden City: Update

The Minister for Housing (Christopher Pincher)

I am today laying a departmental minute to advise that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has received approval from Her Majesty’s Treasury for a remote contingent liability for the Department arising from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation’s investment in the Ebbsfleet central site.

As part of the 2014 Budget, the Government announced plans to create a new garden city—the first in over a century—at Ebbsfleet, north Kent. The Government also established the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, a statutory body that reports to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to bring forward the development of the garden city.

The Ebbsfleet garden city will help provide new homes and support wider economic growth across the Thames estuary.

The departmental minute describes the remote contingent liability DLUHC will incur in relation to EDC entering into an indemnity with HS1 Ltd. The remote contingent liability will remain for the short time that the works will be ongoing and will cease to exist once the occupiers of the land have signed off the works.

The Department will fund any expenditure should any claims be brought forward against EDC, through the normal supply procedure.

[HCWS581]

Elections

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Eddie Hughes)

ConservativeWalsall North

The Elections Bill brings forward changes to our electoral system which are vital to ensure our democracy remains secure, fair, modern and transparent, and I am pleased to update Parliament today with further information on the implementation of two key changes, the extension of the franchise for British citizens living overseas, and the introduction of an online application service and identity verification for absent votes. In addition, today the Government are providing their response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report on the Elections Bill to the Committee.

Overseas electors policy statement

The Government’s 2019 manifesto included a commitment to “make it easier for British expats to vote in [UK] parliamentary elections, and get rid of the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights”.

Through the Elections Bill, the Government are extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections to all British citizens living overseas who have been previously registered to vote or previously resident in the UK. In addition to extending the franchise, the changes will facilitate participation by making it easier for overseas electors to remain on the register with an absent vote arrangement in place ahead of elections.

The Bill, and the secondary legislation which will flow from it, will also deliver improvements and consequential amendments to the registration process for overseas electors, including the processes by which applicants have their identity and connection to their relevant previous UK address verified.

To provide further information on these proposals, I am today publishing a policy statement setting out the key changes in the Elections Bill, as well as the Government’s intention for associated secondary legislation, which will set out further requirements regarding how those changes will work in practice.