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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement for voter ID on levels of voter (a) fraud and (b) participation at the May 2023 local elections in England.

The independent Electoral Commission recommended voter ID in January 2014, asking that “Voters should be required to show proof of their identity before they can be issued with a ballot paper at polling stations for elections and referendums in Great Britain. The Commission will publish detailed proposals for a proof of identity scheme by the end of 2014 and wants to see this change in place by no later than the 2019 European and English local government elections.” This is publicly available here.

As set out last year by ministers to Parliament, we have “committed to a review that will take place after the May elections. I can confirm our intention that the results of that review should be published no later than November 2023.”