Oral Answers to Questions

Toby Perkins Excerpts

Wednesday 21st February 2018 Commons Chamber

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was asked—

[Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to increase participation by under-represented groups in parliamentary and local government elections.

[Mr Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North East) (Lab/Co-op)]

11. What steps he is taking to increase participation by under-represented groups in parliamentary and local government elections.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chloe Smith)]

Last December, we published our democratic engagement plan, setting out our current evidence on under-registered groups, our plans for deepening our understanding of engagement barriers and a commitment to tackling them. This year we are already delivering a number of projects focusing on young people and linked to the suffrage centenary celebrations.

[Toby Perkins]

The electoral roll would be a good place to start a strategy like that. The Government are perfectly good at finding us when they want our tax, yet an estimated 6 million people—predominantly younger urban voters, particularly those in ethnic minorities—are missing from the electoral roll. Everyone who is on Government registers through the benefit system, the tax system and the health system should be on the electoral roll. The boundary changes based on this flawed register are an undemocratic sham, so why are the Government working to make it more difficult to vote, rather than addressing this national scandal?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. That was too long.