Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee
Wednesday 21st October 2026
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14:30
14:30
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
Is it the wish of the committee that the instruments be debated together? No objection. I will now call the Minister to move the first motion and speak to both instruments at the end of the debate. I will put the question on the first motion and then ask the Minister to move the second motion formally. I call the minister to move the first motion.
14:30
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Thank you, chair. I beg to move that. The committee has considered the draft voter identification amendment of list of Specified Documents northern Ireland Regulations 2026. The Draft Voter Identification Amendment of list of specified Documents, Local Elections, Northern Ireland Order 2026 and the draft Local Elections northern Ireland Uprating Election Expenses Order 2026 laid before this House on the 13th of July 2026. And before I start, may I say it's a pleasure to see you in the chair, Sir Edward, for what is my first of these details, as I'm sure will be many as a minister, and also to welcome the Shadow Minister to his place as well.
We've spent a lot of time in the chamber, but not actually been officially opposite each other. So it's a pleasure to be able to welcome him to his place as well. These statutory instruments introduce certain changes to the electoral system in Northern Ireland. Their primary objective is to expand voter accessibility and encourage participation across the electorate in Northern Ireland. They will align certain rules governing Northern Ireland elections more closely with those in Great Britain. The first instrument updates the list of acceptable forms of ID that can be used by voters at polling stations in parliamentary and assembly elections in Northern Ireland.
The second instrument looks at identical changes to the list for local elections in Northern Ireland. The third instrument will uprate expenditure limits to candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland to reflect rising costs due to inflation. An equivalent uplift in the spending limit for reserved elections in Great Britain and for UK parliamentary and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, was approved by Parliament in 2023. Now, before I proceed further, I draw the committee's attention to the correction slip for the local elections draft order, which corrects a minor typo error. The. In the last paragraph on page one, the words on him selection section on him section have been amended to.
On him by section 84 of the Northern Ireland Act. And I'm sure the beady eyed among you have already spotted that typo. This section allows Northern Ireland's local election rules to be amended by order in council, and him refers to His Majesty the King in this context. Turning to the specifics of the first and second instruments, these regulations were introduced new identity documents that can be used by voters at polling stations in UK Parliamentary Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections. The documents being added are the Commonwealth Passport, the proof of age standards card, the H.M.
Armed Forces veteran card and the Blue Badge from the Disabled Persons Parking Scheme in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. These forms of ID are already accepted at polling stations in the rest of Great Britain. Expanding the list of acceptable documents will support electoral participation across Northern Ireland. Both the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Commission are supportive of this change, ensuring that those who cast their vote are eligible to do so is vital to uphold trust in electoral institutions and processes. The requirement for an elector to produce ID is an important part of protecting this principle.
Producing photographic ID at polling stations has been a requirement in Northern Ireland elections since 2003. It is well understood and established part of the electoral process and due to the security requirements, the list of acceptable IDs in Northern Ireland has historically been more restrictive than the list in Great Britain and is updated less frequently. Increasing the number of acceptable IDs will remove barriers to voting and support more people in Northern Ireland, including some of the most vulnerable in society, to participate in our democracy whilst retaining important electoral security measures. I now want to set out the measure in the third instrument relating to updating local election candidate expenditure in more detail.
This draft order will uprate the spending limits for candidates in Northern Ireland's local elections. The limit will increase from £600 plus £5 per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area, in which they are standing to £960 plus AP per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area. This will bring the spending limit in Northern Ireland into line with the spending limit for local elections in England. The current spending limits for local election candidates in Northern Ireland have remained unchanged since they were first set out in 2005. Spending limits across all other reserved elections were updated to reflect the rise in inflation in 2023.
Consequently, candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland face a disadvantage when compared to those standing in parliamentary and assembly elections in Northern Ireland or in local elections in England. An effective democracy relies upon the ability of political parties, candidates and other campaigners to communicate their views so that voters can make informed decisions. The current limits mean that local election candidates in Northern Ireland are restricted by lower real terms spending. On campaigning. The Electoral Commission has been consulted on these changes, in line with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's statutory duty, and is supportive of the new measures.
So, in conclusion, these draft instruments are necessary to support more people in Northern Ireland to participate and engage within our democracy. Expanding the list of acceptable voter IDs is an important step in updating electoral processes to reflect the modern electorate in Northern Ireland, while also preserving the additional security features that are essential to maintain trust in Northern Ireland's electoral system. Updating local election campaign spending limits will ensure that spending limits remain aligned in real terms, with the original limits set by Parliament.
We've spent a lot of time in the chamber, but not actually been officially opposite each other. So it's a pleasure to be able to welcome him to his place as well. These statutory instruments introduce certain changes to the electoral system in Northern Ireland. Their primary objective is to expand voter accessibility and encourage participation across the electorate in Northern Ireland. They will align certain rules governing Northern Ireland elections more closely with those in Great Britain. The first instrument updates the list of acceptable forms of ID that can be used by voters at polling stations in parliamentary and assembly elections in Northern Ireland.
The second instrument looks at identical changes to the list for local elections in Northern Ireland. The third instrument will uprate expenditure limits to candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland to reflect rising costs due to inflation. An equivalent uplift in the spending limit for reserved elections in Great Britain and for UK parliamentary and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, was approved by Parliament in 2023. Now, before I proceed further, I draw the committee's attention to the correction slip for the local elections draft order, which corrects a minor typo error. The. In the last paragraph on page one, the words on him selection section on him section have been amended to.
On him by section 84 of the Northern Ireland Act. And I'm sure the beady eyed among you have already spotted that typo. This section allows Northern Ireland's local election rules to be amended by order in council, and him refers to His Majesty the King in this context. Turning to the specifics of the first and second instruments, these regulations were introduced new identity documents that can be used by voters at polling stations in UK Parliamentary Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections. The documents being added are the Commonwealth Passport, the proof of age standards card, the H.M.
Armed Forces veteran card and the Blue Badge from the Disabled Persons Parking Scheme in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. These forms of ID are already accepted at polling stations in the rest of Great Britain. Expanding the list of acceptable documents will support electoral participation across Northern Ireland. Both the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Commission are supportive of this change, ensuring that those who cast their vote are eligible to do so is vital to uphold trust in electoral institutions and processes. The requirement for an elector to produce ID is an important part of protecting this principle.
Producing photographic ID at polling stations has been a requirement in Northern Ireland elections since 2003. It is well understood and established part of the electoral process and due to the security requirements, the list of acceptable IDs in Northern Ireland has historically been more restrictive than the list in Great Britain and is updated less frequently. Increasing the number of acceptable IDs will remove barriers to voting and support more people in Northern Ireland, including some of the most vulnerable in society, to participate in our democracy whilst retaining important electoral security measures. I now want to set out the measure in the third instrument relating to updating local election candidate expenditure in more detail.
This draft order will uprate the spending limits for candidates in Northern Ireland's local elections. The limit will increase from £600 plus £5 per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area, in which they are standing to £960 plus AP per elector registered to vote in the district electoral area. This will bring the spending limit in Northern Ireland into line with the spending limit for local elections in England. The current spending limits for local election candidates in Northern Ireland have remained unchanged since they were first set out in 2005. Spending limits across all other reserved elections were updated to reflect the rise in inflation in 2023.
Consequently, candidates standing in local elections in Northern Ireland face a disadvantage when compared to those standing in parliamentary and assembly elections in Northern Ireland or in local elections in England. An effective democracy relies upon the ability of political parties, candidates and other campaigners to communicate their views so that voters can make informed decisions. The current limits mean that local election candidates in Northern Ireland are restricted by lower real terms spending. On campaigning. The Electoral Commission has been consulted on these changes, in line with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's statutory duty, and is supportive of the new measures.
So, in conclusion, these draft instruments are necessary to support more people in Northern Ireland to participate and engage within our democracy. Expanding the list of acceptable voter IDs is an important step in updating electoral processes to reflect the modern electorate in Northern Ireland, while also preserving the additional security features that are essential to maintain trust in Northern Ireland's electoral system. Updating local election campaign spending limits will ensure that spending limits remain aligned in real terms, with the original limits set by Parliament.
14:36
14:36
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
Yes. Thank you, chair. And can I thank the Minister for her kind words and welcome her formally to her new role? And may I also welcome the new member for Holborn and St Pancras to her first delegated legislative committee, and I'm sure she will come to enjoy them as much as I have in the last two and a bit years. The three regulations that we are debating today bring Northern Ireland's voter ID and spending rules into line with the rules that apply in the rest of the United Kingdom, mainly England. And as such, we do not oppose these measures.
When these regulations were debated in the other place last month, my noble friend the Lord Caine, raised a number of questions on behalf of his of His Majesty's opposition. And I wonder if the Minister here today could provide us with an update on the government's latest thinking. First, while it is welcomed that the veteran card is being added to the list of acceptable identification in Northern Ireland, there may still be veterans who are reticent to hold one or be identified as a veteran for security concerns. Of course, that is no reason not to grant a lectures the option to use a veterans card if they wish to do so.
But what work have the government done to assess the possibility that veterans in Northern Ireland may be reticent to carry such a card and use it for voter ID? Likewise, my noble friend queried whether ministers had made an assessment of the impact on electoral fraud in Northern Ireland as a result of the representation of the people Bill amending legislation to allow for Non-photographic bank cards. When it was a Labour government in the early 2000, who legislated to move from paper ID to photo ID for Northern Ireland. Given the historic experience of high levels of voter impersonation there, the minister replied that in the other place there were no plans for that to happen in Northern Ireland.
Given the wider context, I'd be grateful if the minister here today can confirm that it remains the position. When previous regulations were debated last year, the minister gave assurances that the government would be using every measure at its disposal to ensure that the 87,000 retain electors would not be removed from the register. The regulations provide a framework for auditing and engaging these electors. So can the minister tell us what progress has been made to date, especially as the sixth year of the retention period is next year? Assurances were also given by the Minister in the other place that the extended retention period would be used by the Government and Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that the register is as complete as it can be.
What assurance can the Minister give today that this is the case and that going forward, there is a more robust system in place that will ensure that we do not see 6% of the electorate at risk of being taken off the register. Turning to spending limits, we agree that bringing limits in line with the rest of the UK is sensible. But my noble friend also highlighted that the recent review that the Cabinet Office and Minister of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had announced into candidate spending limits with the implication that they are too high, would the Minister be able to update us on that situation and whether we're likely to need to revisit these changes soon?
Finally, as we debate these changes on to electoral regulations in Northern Ireland today, it would be briefly. It is worth briefly bearing in mind more widely, other electoral changes that this government has announced it will bring forward. Firstly, votes at 16, which in my view is a bad idea. Last last month, the Minister in the other place indicated that the government is considering what measures may need to be updated to ensure that the approximate 48,016 and 17 year.
When these regulations were debated in the other place last month, my noble friend the Lord Caine, raised a number of questions on behalf of his of His Majesty's opposition. And I wonder if the Minister here today could provide us with an update on the government's latest thinking. First, while it is welcomed that the veteran card is being added to the list of acceptable identification in Northern Ireland, there may still be veterans who are reticent to hold one or be identified as a veteran for security concerns. Of course, that is no reason not to grant a lectures the option to use a veterans card if they wish to do so.
But what work have the government done to assess the possibility that veterans in Northern Ireland may be reticent to carry such a card and use it for voter ID? Likewise, my noble friend queried whether ministers had made an assessment of the impact on electoral fraud in Northern Ireland as a result of the representation of the people Bill amending legislation to allow for Non-photographic bank cards. When it was a Labour government in the early 2000, who legislated to move from paper ID to photo ID for Northern Ireland. Given the historic experience of high levels of voter impersonation there, the minister replied that in the other place there were no plans for that to happen in Northern Ireland.
Given the wider context, I'd be grateful if the minister here today can confirm that it remains the position. When previous regulations were debated last year, the minister gave assurances that the government would be using every measure at its disposal to ensure that the 87,000 retain electors would not be removed from the register. The regulations provide a framework for auditing and engaging these electors. So can the minister tell us what progress has been made to date, especially as the sixth year of the retention period is next year? Assurances were also given by the Minister in the other place that the extended retention period would be used by the Government and Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that the register is as complete as it can be.
What assurance can the Minister give today that this is the case and that going forward, there is a more robust system in place that will ensure that we do not see 6% of the electorate at risk of being taken off the register. Turning to spending limits, we agree that bringing limits in line with the rest of the UK is sensible. But my noble friend also highlighted that the recent review that the Cabinet Office and Minister of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had announced into candidate spending limits with the implication that they are too high, would the Minister be able to update us on that situation and whether we're likely to need to revisit these changes soon?
Finally, as we debate these changes on to electoral regulations in Northern Ireland today, it would be briefly. It is worth briefly bearing in mind more widely, other electoral changes that this government has announced it will bring forward. Firstly, votes at 16, which in my view is a bad idea. Last last month, the Minister in the other place indicated that the government is considering what measures may need to be updated to ensure that the approximate 48,016 and 17 year.
14:39
14:39
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
I was just asking about the if changes are made. Thank you chair. I appreciate your guidance. I just ask whether the government can update us on what they would do for the 68,000, 16 and 17 year old voters who require ID should they become eligible to vote, and I wonder if the minister provide an update. Secondly, in an era of even more sectarian politics with which Northern Ireland is sadly all too familiar, the Prime Minister announced plans for a commission on electoral reform, which appears to have rather prejudged by also committing himself to a manifesto pledge on electoral reform.
The government seems to want to remove the voters of Northern Ireland powers to sack their MPs. So will the Minister agree that changing the voting system in Northern Ireland could not be done without a referendum on the issue? In conclusion, the regulations today bring Northern Ireland's voter ID and spending rules into line with the with those that apply in the rest of the United Kingdom. And as such, we do not oppose these measures, but there are a number of important issues. It would be useful for the Minister to update members on today, please. Thank you.
The government seems to want to remove the voters of Northern Ireland powers to sack their MPs. So will the Minister agree that changing the voting system in Northern Ireland could not be done without a referendum on the issue? In conclusion, the regulations today bring Northern Ireland's voter ID and spending rules into line with the with those that apply in the rest of the United Kingdom. And as such, we do not oppose these measures, but there are a number of important issues. It would be useful for the Minister to update members on today, please. Thank you.
14:40
14:40
Speaker 5
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Speaker 5
Is the list now identical? The trouble for that. Apologies. Is the list identical now in Northern Ireland? I've just looked up. But in in in England you can have a blind person's badge issued in Northern Ireland. But that doesn't appear to be on the Northern Ireland list. Are the lists identical? And if not, why not? Thank you.
14:41
14:41
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Thank you chair. I thank the Shadow Minister and the Lib Dem spokesperson for their contributions and input today, and I just want to take a couple of moments to respond to as many of those points as possible, firstly, to the Lib Dem spokesperson, they are not identical is between the rest of GB and Northern Ireland, and that is because Northern Ireland requires a photographic form of identification. So there is some divergence between the two, but that is a historic and well, well trodden path for Northern Ireland. So that is that's the reason why there will be some difference.
And I wanted to address the points laid out by the shadow Minister. The first one is the veterans card. Totally understand. We understand that there will be some sensitivities and some people that will not feel comfortable using their veterans card or indeed carrying their veterans card with them. But this is expansion. To include the veterans card is about choice and ensuring that veterans, should they wish to do so, are able to present their veterans card at the voting booths. When it comes to every measures to ensure that we do not lose voters off the electoral register, that is something that the government is keenly looking at.
Its across my desk, and the reasons why we're introducing these measures today is to ensure the widest possible participation within the elections, all elections in Northern Ireland. And that is what we want to continue to do going forward. It's not envisaged at this stage that we will be looking at revisiting the candidates spend and votes at 16. Of course, we differ on votes at 16, and we will revisit this specifically for Northern Ireland when it comes into force and into place. And when it comes to the wider context of reforms, I have to say that this is something that has come up time and time again with Northern Ireland.
But I would say it's not necessarily about what the politicians want to change. It is what businesses, what people and the public sector in Northern Ireland are going to be crying out for. And that's for a wider package of reforms that is beyond the scope of what we're discussing today.
And I wanted to address the points laid out by the shadow Minister. The first one is the veterans card. Totally understand. We understand that there will be some sensitivities and some people that will not feel comfortable using their veterans card or indeed carrying their veterans card with them. But this is expansion. To include the veterans card is about choice and ensuring that veterans, should they wish to do so, are able to present their veterans card at the voting booths. When it comes to every measures to ensure that we do not lose voters off the electoral register, that is something that the government is keenly looking at.
Its across my desk, and the reasons why we're introducing these measures today is to ensure the widest possible participation within the elections, all elections in Northern Ireland. And that is what we want to continue to do going forward. It's not envisaged at this stage that we will be looking at revisiting the candidates spend and votes at 16. Of course, we differ on votes at 16, and we will revisit this specifically for Northern Ireland when it comes into force and into place. And when it comes to the wider context of reforms, I have to say that this is something that has come up time and time again with Northern Ireland.
But I would say it's not necessarily about what the politicians want to change. It is what businesses, what people and the public sector in Northern Ireland are going to be crying out for. And that's for a wider package of reforms that is beyond the scope of what we're discussing today.
14:43
14:43
Speaker 3
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Speaker 3
Hello, uncle. Thank you. To close, I know that all members here today will agree that encouraging participation in our democracy is vital. I hope that the Committee will agree. These instruments will maintain the integrity of the electoral system in Northern Ireland, respecting well understood safeguards while adapting to keep pace with modern practices. I am therefore pleased to introduce these measures, and I commend this order to the House and beg to move.
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