Pulse.Assent

The changes will make it easier for an estimated 12,000 survivors of domestic abuse living in refuges to register to vote anonymously as well as those living elsewhere.

The changes will come into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland tomorrow (8 March) and in Scotland on 1 April.

Survivors of domestic abuse will be able to register to vote without their name and address appearing on the electoral roll and without the fear of their former partners finding their address.

The changes to make it easier for survivors of domestic violence to register to vote anonymously include:

• broadening the professionals able to provide an attestation to include police inspectors, medical practitioners, nurses, midwives and refuge managers.
• expanding the list of court orders to include Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Female Genital Mutilation Orders.

This forms part of the government’s commitment to tackle violence against women and girls.

Minister for the Constitution Chloe Smith said:

It’s simply unacceptable that fear of revealing their address to an ex-partner has stopped victims of domestic abuse from voting.

Which is why this government took decisive action and is making it easier for those at risk to register and vote anonymously.

I’m proud of how seriously this government is tackling domestic abuse – we have pledged £100 million in dedicated funding until 2020 to tackle violence against women and girls.

Claire Bassett, Chief Executive of Electoral Commission, said:

Everyone should be able to vote safely, no matter what their circumstances, and these important changes are a vital step towards achieving this.

Nurses, midwives and refuge managers will now be able to attest to someone’s request to register anonymously; we are working with organisations that support these professions to publish guidance, to ensure they understand these changes to the law and can support their service users.

Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:

For too long survivors of domestic abuse have been silenced because it was too dangerous for them to sign up to an electoral register, which would reveal their location, and too difficult for them to register anonymously. For them anonymity is a matter of life or death; with the very real threat of being hunted down by the perpetrator.

Following our Right to Vote campaign in partnership with survivor Mehala Osborne, we have worked with the government to bring about decisive action on this issue. We’re delighted that on the 100th anniversary of the first British women securing the right to vote, the government will be making it easier for survivors to vote in safety.

Jack, who is just finishing an apprenticeship on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, is fast building his career working within the A14 Integrated Delivery team to help deliver Highways England’s £1.5bn project.

Jack said:

I applied for an Apprentice Engineer role during my A-Levels. After I completed them, I started an NVQ Level 2 apprenticeship on a road project in North Yorkshire, where I was part of the structures team delivering several bridges.

I am currently studying for a NVQ Level 3 in Construction Contracting Operations on the A14 project, where I am part of a structures team again. My team is responsible for the construction of a number of structures including two of the schemes new bridges – there are 34 bridge and structures in total on the scheme!

I am about to complete this NVQ and will carry on working for Balfour Beatty afterwards, hoping to gain a Higher National Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment so I can then progress to University.

I would urge anyone in my position to see what Highways England and its contractors have to offer – the possibilities are endless!

Highways England, the government company that manages England’s motorways and major trunk roads, is responsible for some of the country’s biggest construction projects.

Over the next few months Highways England will take on up to 75 apprentices to work at its offices across the country, with places made available through its website. Apprenticeship opportunities are also available via the company’s contractors on roads projects in the East region.

Today, during National Apprenticeship Week, Highways England urged people interested in building a road network for the future to sign up for alerts.

San Johal, Highways England Human Resources Director said:

This is a great time to join our team. We are investing in the next generation, and our apprenticeships are open to all and are a real alternative to traditional routes like university.

With the UK needing an extra 20,000 engineering graduates a year, Highways England is taking part in the Year of Engineering. This national campaign is all about showing young people what an engineer is, and what they can achieve.

For Highways England we need a continuing pipeline of young engineers to help deliver the massive investment planned for our motorways and major A-roads, benefitting the economy and improving people’s lives.

Highways England’s apprenticeship scheme supports the government goals to create 30,000 apprenticeships in road and rail by 2020.

New recruits will be helping to play a part in modernising England’s strategic road network by developing and delivering technically advanced projects. These include schemes such as the A303 Stonehenge improvements and The Lower Thames Crossing.

The company currently offers apprenticeships in business administration, IT, electrical engineering and civil engineering and Human Resources. It is planning to extend the list to include accounts, quantity surveying, transport planning and project management.

Highways England also continues to develop strong relationships with schools and colleges as part of a wider ‘early talent’ recruitment plan, to encourage children to continue the study of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, helping to inspire the engineers and construction professionals of tomorrow.

To find out more, and sign up for e-mail alerts or apply for an apprenticeship visit Highways England’s careers homepage.

Schools and parents are also encouraged to log into The Big Assembly this Thursday 8 March, to join the thousands of people being online at the same time gaining career advice. For further details please following http://www.bigassembly.org/

Since the start of construction on the A14 upgrade, more than 150 opportunities have been created for young people with an interest in road construction to gain skills, including 42 apprenticeships. Through the lifetime of the project, it is planned that around 75 apprentices and 35 graduates will be recruited.

For the latest information about the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, including job and training opportunities, contact the team at recruitment@thea14.com, visit the scheme website, follow @A14C2H on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.