Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 8 December (HL4345), and in the light of recent electoral statistics from the ONS regarding the 40 per cent decrease in the proportion of 16 and 17 year-old attainers registered to vote, whether they will now issue special guidance to Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain reminding them of their powers to work with schools and colleges to register young people to vote in the same way that the Northern Ireland Chief Electoral Officer does.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are fully aware of their powers and their duties and their performance is monitored by the independent Electoral Commission. The Cabinet Office periodically reminds EROs of democratic engagement resources, including those specifically aimed at young people, which are available to them. The Government has no plans to issue special guidance along the lines suggested.