Elections: Second Home Owners

Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Excerpts

Wednesday 26th January 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I wondered when that question would be posed, because it ties in with the debates that we are currently having on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill. The distortions that all databases have—the census is no exception, because it, too, has to be assessed in various areas because of low returns—are distortions to the electorate numbers and would affect electorates in university towns and coastal recreational areas in particular. I should emphasise, however, that residences that are used primarily for recreational purposes are not, in general terms, considered to be second residences and should not be registered.

[Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall]

My Lords, the noble Lord has properly reminded the House that it is illegal to vote twice in the same general election. Will he say, under the present arrangements, how it is possible to police that law; and how many people does he think, or does he know, have actually been prosecuted for doing that?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I can answer the second question by saying that we are not aware of any prosecutions. As with so many British institutions, it depends on trust.