Oral Answers to Questions

Nicholas Dakin Excerpts

Tuesday 19th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The right hon. Gentleman speaks for a party that is hoovering up all the available Short money from taxpayers, and his question was probably written for him by Len McCluskey. For heaven’s sake, talk about blurring the boundaries between politics and non-party interests. Was the question written for him by a trade union—yes or no?

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

4. What steps he has taken to prevent a reduction in those registered to vote as a result of the introduction of individual electoral registration.

[Cathy Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab/Co-op)]

6. What steps he has taken to prevent a reduction in those registered to vote as a result of the introduction of individual electoral registration.

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark)]

The Government are safeguarding the completeness of the electoral register by using data-matching to confirm the majority of existing electors to ensure that they are all automatically enrolled during the transition to individual electoral registration. We are also phasing in the transition over two years to allow those not individually registered to vote in the 2015 election. We are making registration simpler and more convenient by enabling online registration for the first time. In addition, resources have been provided to maximise voter registration ahead of individual electoral registration.

[Nic Dakin]

How many eligible voters would have to drop off the register for the Government, the Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to pause and review this policy?

[Greg Clark]

The hon. Gentleman should know that the tests that have been done and the safeguards that are in place, including carrying over the existing register to the 2015 election, mean that there is every prospect that the number of people able to vote in that election will increase. That is what has led the chair of the Electoral Commission to say:

“We have independently assessed how ready the plans are for this change to the registration system and have concluded that it can proceed”.