Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people are able to vote in elections (a) confidentially and (b) easily.

The Government continues to work with the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group to make elections more accessible to disabled people. Work has already been undertaken with Mencap and the Electoral Commission to produce Easy Read guides for registration and voting at recent polls, and we have worked with the Electoral Commission to update its guidance for Returning Officers and polling station staff.

We are also starting to bring forward measures which respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections, with the proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.