Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March to Question 165286 on Local Government: Elections, if he will make an estimate of how many and what proportion of Black people (a) have applied and (b) will apply for a voter authority certificate.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Urgent Question response on 21 February 2023, and to the oral answer given on Monday 27 March (Official Report, HC, Volume 730, Column 646). I also refer to answers given to Questions UIN 165395 on 22 March 2023, UIN 165396 on 22 March 2023, UIN 165273 on 17 March 2023, UIN 165280 on 17 March 2023, UIN 165271 on 20 March 2023 and UIN 90823 23 November 2022. Data on the declared ethnicity of applicants for Voter Authority Certificates is not held centrally.