Voter Registration

Debate between Lord Young of Cookham and Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve

Wednesday 25th January 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve (CB)]

Does the Minister agree that Northern Ireland gives us another reason to think about compulsory registration? The Government have maintained that the common travel area will continue after Brexit. I do not see how that can be done except by people having ID cards or passports that are biometrically sophisticated and carried by all of us. It is no good just saying, “Let the illegals identify themselves”.

[Lord Young of Cookham]

That goes way beyond my negotiating brief and takes us into very difficult territory about the future of the common travel area in Northern Ireland. I repeat that we have had a debate about ID cards and the Government have made their position clear. We are not minded to introduce them in the UK.