Oral Answers to Questions

Henry Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) (Con)]

3. What steps the Government are taking to improve the integrity of electoral (a) processes and (b) systems.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

10. What steps the Government are taking to improve the integrity of electoral (a) processes and (b) systems.

--- Later in debate ---

[Oliver Dowden]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. The Home Office is reviewing legislation related to hostile state activity following the Salisbury attacks. This is a thorough process to assess whether additional powers are required to clamp down on the activities of hostile states that threaten the UK both here and overseas. As part of this we are considering the legislation of likeminded international partners to see whether the UK would benefit from adopting something similar.

[Henry Smith]

I welcome voter ID, which is commonplace in many democracies, but for those who do not have an existing form of ID, such as a driving licence, what provisions are the Government proposing?

[Oliver Dowden]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and it is why local authorities will provide voters who lack the required ID with an alternative ID, free of charge, to ensure that everyone eligible to vote has the opportunity to do so.