Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release of 27 December 2016, Eliminating Electoral Fraud in Polling Stations, if he will carry out an equality and human rights impact assessment on the voter identification pilots; and whether he plans to make an assessment of the effect of those pilots on the demographic composition of voters in future elections.

In its response to Sir Eric Pickles’ review of electoral fraud, the Government announced its intention to run a number of pilot schemes at local government elections in May 2018. The pilot schemes are part of a comprehensive programme of reform that will enhance public confidence in our elections, and strengthen electoral integrity.

The Government is keen to be inclusive in making plans to bring forward Sir Eric’s recommendations. The Government is conscious of the need to ensure that legitimate electors are not disenfranchised, and will give careful consideration to the impacts of the pilots. Over the coming weeks and months, the Government will be working with its key electoral partners, including the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, to set out in detail our plans for implementing and evaluating the pilot schemes.

The pilot schemes will enable us to accurately determine the impact of asking voters in Great Britain to present identification before voting. This, in turn, will ensure that the Government can build a clear, secure democracy that works for everyone.