Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to include a legislative consent motion with legislative proposals to lower the voting age to allow 16 and 17 year olds in Northern Ireland to vote in (a) Assembly and (b) local government elections.

The Government has given a clear commitment to lower the voting age to 16 at all non-devolved elections, which includes Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland. As elections are an excepted matter under Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, it will not be necessary to seek a legislative consent motion in relation to that commitment. The Government will of course work closely with stakeholders across Northern Ireland on the implementation of this major change to the franchise and ensure we empower our young people to participate in democracy.