Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to promote voter registration in secondary schools.

As part of the Suffrage Centenary programme, the Government has been leading on a number of projects designed to promote democratic engagement and electoral registration in secondary schools. This includes the Parliamentarian Toolkit and Secondary Schools Resource.

The Toolkit includes activities and worksheets that parliamentarians can use with pupils when visiting schools or engaging with young people at youth clubs or on social media. It has been designed to teach young people about their democratic rights today and the history of those who fought for these rights. Exercises will help generate discussion and encourage young people to think about the role of democracy in their lives.

The Government has also commissioned the Historical Association to develop a Schools Resource which will be launched later this year. The Resource will use a historical knowledge base to improve pupils’ understanding of UK democracy, democratic institutions and of how they can participate in our democratic processes today. While the funding is England-only, Devolved Administrations are welcome to utilise the materials.