Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if his Department will take steps to inform school principals of whether their buildings will be required for use as polling stations on 15 December 2022.

The use of schools as polling stations is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer.

I am aware that following the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s announcement on 4 November that no election would take place during December, the Electoral Office was in direct contact with all polling station premises managers as soon as possible to inform them that their premises would not be required for a 15 December poll.