Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage newly eligible young voters to participate in elections in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Electoral Commission’s 2023 report on electoral registers found that young people are among the least likely groups to be registered to vote.

As set out in our Strategy for modern and secure elections, the Government is committed to improving voter registration, which includes work to support groups who are less likely to be registered.

A comprehensive programme of work is underway, involving collaboration with the Electoral Commission, local authorities, think tanks, academics, and civil society organisations. This programme is focused on identifying the attitudinal and knowledge barriers that prevent those with historically low participation, including young people, from becoming democratically active, and on exploring effective interventions to overcome these challenges.

Over the coming years, we will work to create a new automated registration system, removing key barriers to eligible citizens participating in our democracy. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote – registering to vote is a vital first step towards doing that.

We also want to build and encourage long-lasting engagement of young people with our democracy. Evidence from places that have lowered the voting age shows that doing so can increase turnout when implemented in a supportive environment. That is why the Government is committed to extending the right to vote to 16-and-17-year-olds and working alongside the Electoral Commission and civil society organisations to ensure that young people are both prepared and motivated to exercise their democratic rights. We hope that this early engagement will build the foundations for lifetime participation in our electoral processes.

While we are making these changes, we want to talk to young people to ensure we’re putting their needs at the centre of our policy making. We will work with other key actors to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out practical voter/civic education. We know that it is imperative that citizenship education is fit for purpose in order to support this change. Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review and its recommendations to the Government, we have committed to make citizenship compulsory in primary schools and to publish revised programmes of study to ensure that all pupils receive an essential grounding in a range of topics including democracy, government and law. The Department for Education will consult on programmes of study next year and the new national curriculum will be published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028.

Altogether, we will create an environment in which young people understand their rights and responsibilities, and where they are equipped and empowered to participate in our democracy.