Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of the 50 recommendations made in Securing the Ballot the Government plans to see implemented by (a) the Government or (b) other parties, including the Electoral Commission and returning officers, in time for (i) local authority elections in 2017, (ii) local authority elections in 2018, (iii) the next general election due in 2020 and (iv) elections of police and crime commissioners in 2020.

The Government published its response to Sir Eric Pickles’ review of electoral fraud in December, and is now looking closely at how and when the work on each of the recommendations addressed in the response can be taken forward. In the coming weeks and months, the Government will work closely with the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, and other electoral administrators, in order to set out clearly the nature and timing of that work. We will look to implement the majority of Sir Eric’s recommendations either through primary and secondary legislation, or through new or reinforced guidance, as appropriate. In its response, the Government has clearly identified where the recommendations that it intends to bring forward will require primary legislation in order to be implemented.