Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Penrose and Helen Hayes

Wednesday 9th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab)]

4. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of methods used to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (John Penrose)]

The Electoral Commission will publish its assessment of the 2015 annual canvass in spring next year. In the meantime, there is a growing acceptance that while the annual canvass is an essential tool in maintaining complete and accurate registers, the processes and techniques we use to undertake it look increasingly out of date. They were developed from an analogue, not digital, world. As I said in my speech to the Policy Exchange in October, we will look to give electoral registration officers more discretion to adapt their canvass activities in order to make the canvass more efficient and effective in future.

[Helen Hayes]

Only 6.4% of homeowners are not on the electoral register, yet for those living in rented accommodation this figure is a massive 36.7%. The Government have made, and are making, it harder for generation rent to get on the property ladder, or obtain a secure tenancy. Is that why the Government do not want to hear the voices of private renters in our democracy?

[John Penrose]

We absolutely do want to hear everybody’s voice in our democracy. One of the things we are aiming to do with the new approach, as I said in the speech I mentioned in my initial response, is look at other ways to make better contact with groups that are under-represented, and to make sure more of them use their voice and their democratic right.