Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Written Answers by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 July 2017, 15 September 2017, and 2 October 2017 (HL3, HL1448, and HL1671) and the Written Answer by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 21 Dec 2017 (HL3975), what assessment they have made of the case for (1) increased safeguards against organised abuse of the electoral system in Northern Ireland to take account of the 2017 figure for proxy vote applications being 555 per cent of that in 2010, and (2) a further review of absent voting procedures by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.

Proxy and postal voting is a permitted part of elections. Any allegations of electoral fraud are referred to the PSNI, and the Chief Electoral Officer has made clear that she is content that applications are processed and approved in accordance with the law. The Chief Electoral Officer has also made it clear that she has seen no evidence of systematic electoral abuse.

The Government continues to consult with key stakeholders and keeps electoral legislation under review. We are committed to tackling possible abuse through a number of measures including piloting voter ID in Great Britain, supporting the Private Member’s Postal Voting Bill and consulting on the recommendations of the Committee of Standards in Public Life relating to intimidation of Parliamentary candidates and other public office-holders.