Oral Answers to Questions

Hugh Bayley Excerpts

Thursday 24th January 2013 Commons Chamber

The hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission was asked—

[Hugh Bayley (York Central) (Lab)]

6. What recent guidance the Electoral Commission has issued on ways of increasing participation in elections.

[Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon)]

The commission undertakes public awareness work to raise awareness of elections and how to participate in them, including by encouraging people to register. Electoral registration officers and returning officers have a statutory duty to promote participation locally, and the commission provides guidance to help them to do so. The guidance focuses on ensuring that people know how to participate.

[Hugh Bayley]

Given the consequence of the experiment in individual voter registration in Northern Ireland, does the hon. Gentleman agree with the commission that those people who already have their names on the electoral register throughout the United Kingdom should have their names kept on the register until the time of the next general election so that they should be able to vote at that election?

[Mr Streeter]

Yes I do, and, more important, so do the Government, which is precisely why it is going to happen.