Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Oral Answers to Questions

Oliver Heald Excerpts
Tuesday 10th February 2015

(9 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Sam Gyimah Portrait Mr Gyimah
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The hon. Lady talks about the register. Let me make it clear: Electoral Commission data show that 3 million people were missing from the register in 2000. By 2011, 7.5 million people were missing from the register. The deterioration of the register happened when the Labour party was in government. IER is part of the solution to get the register right. Under the old system, people moved house but the register did not. With online registration, we are making it simpler and easier for people to get on the register. That is how we will ensure that more people get on the register.

Oliver Heald Portrait Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)
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Will the Minister join me in welcoming the initiative, by Facebook and the Electoral Commission, to contact 35 million users of Facebook and encourage them to register online? Does he agree that this sort of innovative approach will lead to better use of online registration?

Sam Gyimah Portrait Mr Gyimah
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My hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. The way forward for the completeness and accuracy of the register is not to go back to the old system of block registration—I know the Labour party likes its block votes—but to use initiatives, such as using Facebook, to market to the vast majority of the British public who should be on the register but are not.