Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Clark of Kilwinning Excerpts

Tuesday 20th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Mr Gary Streeter is not here. I call Katy Clark.

[Katy Clark (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

8. What assessment he has made of the potential effects of the introduction of individual electoral registration on the 2015 boundary review.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark Harper)]

I do not expect our proposals for individual registration to have any effects. As I have said from the Dispatch Box on many occasions, we are as focused as ever on accuracy and completeness, and I therefore do not expect the new arrangement to cause any problems for the boundary review. We are working incredibly hard to ensure that the 2015 register will be in good shape.

[Katy Clark]

Surely the Minister accepts that the Electoral Commission’s finding that about 6 million people are missing from the register must cast doubt on the data that are being used for the boundary review.

[Mr Harper]

That study was, of course, paid for by the Government, because we wanted to find out what state the electoral register was in before introducing individual electoral registration. It suggests that those who complacently thought that the register was already in good shape may need to think about that a little more, and also that our proposals, which include data matching and improving registration, are urgently required and will make the register better.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Attorney-General]

That would normally be a matter for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, not the Serious Fraud Office. However, the position of any prosecutorial authority is clear: if there is evidence of criminal conduct, it is in the public interest that it should be stopped and that those engaged in it should be punished if found guilty.

[Katy Clark (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

If the Attorney-General has not already done so, will he discuss with the Serious Fraud Office the possibility of bringing prosecutions arising out of the collapse of Farepak five years ago, when 120,000 people lost £38 million? If that is not possible, will he see whether it is possible to make legislative change to ensure that it does not happen again?

[The Attorney-General]

Such legislative change is a matter for another Government Department. On the question of prosecutions, I am not in a position to comment on an individual case. If the hon. Lady wishes to bring further details to my attention, I will certainly ensure that they are passed to the director of the Serious Fraud Office.