Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Pursglove Excerpts
Wednesday 1st July 2015

(9 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Penrose Portrait John Penrose
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As we heard earlier, almost £10 million has been spent on registration activities and drives since the start of this year, and we have made it a great deal more convenient and easier to register through individual electoral registration. We are looking at the report and recommendations produced by the Electoral Commission. In due course, when we respond to them, I am sure that we will have more to say.

Tom Pursglove Portrait Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)
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What recent assessment has the Minister made of the number of ineligible electors on registers—namely, EU citizens who find themselves registered for parliamentary elections?

John Penrose Portrait John Penrose
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One of the benefits of individual electoral registration is that it has a built-in check for validity, which dramatically improves the quality of registers as a result. As more and more of the roll is completed using individual electoral registration, we expect it to have a beneficial effect in weeding out people who are incorrectly registered in the way that my hon. Friend describes.