Co-ordinated Online Record of Electors

Mark Harper Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2011 Written Statements

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

The previous Government legislated for the co-ordinated online record of electors (CORE) in the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009. CORE was intended to provide a single source of electoral registration information for authorised users, principally to provide political parties with a system that would help them meet their donation reporting obligations. The CORE service was to be managed by a new public body, a corporation sole, established for the purposes of being the “CORE keeper”.

The cost of building the CORE system was estimated to be £11.4 million and £2.7 million per annum to run thereafter.

The Government have decided not to pursue the project. We do not believe that establishing this system is proportionate, cost-effective or consistent with the Government’s policy on databases and reducing the number of non-departmental public bodies. We will continue to consider more cost-effective ways to improve the processes and procedures for political parties to report donations.