Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans he has to arrange for media access to the counts for by-elections of hereditary peers.

The Procedure and Privileges Committee agreed on 2 March that the forthcoming hereditary peer by-elections to replace the Earl of Selborne, Lord Denham, Lord Selsdon, the Countess of Mar, Lord Rea and Lord Elton should be carried out using electronic means. Electors will vote using a secure on-line portal. The count will be an electronic process with the manual addition of a small number of postal ballots. There are no plans to allow media access to the count as it is an electronic process. Full details of the results will be available to the media and other interested parties on-line after the result has been announced in the Chamber.