Question

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what role the Electoral Commission has in promoting political engagement; and what assessment the Commission has made of the contribution of ward level data or voter turnout at general elections to monitoring political engagement.

Until 2007 the Commission delivered both its own programmes to increase voter turnout and engagement and funded a range of voluntary and other providers to deliver such work, with a particular focus on encouraging under-engaged groups to vote.

Since 2007 the Commission's work has focussed on increasing voter registration, providing information to help people vote and improving the regulation necessary to foster public confidence in political parties and their funding. Partly for this reason the Commission has not considered the contribution of ward level data to monitoring political engagement at General Elections.

The shift in focus in 2007 was in line with the conclusions of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL)'s report into the Electoral Commission that year, which said that pursuing the aims of increasing voter turnout and democratic participation was not the most effective use of its limited resources. The Speaker's Committee supported this change, and both the Government and Opposition at the time agreed with this shift. The Commission welcomes opportunities, such as those provided by the current review of the Political and Constitutional Reform (PCRC) Committee into voter engagement in the UK, to ensure that it continues to reflect Parliament's view about its most appropriate role and focus for the future.