As stated in my previous answer to HL 2496, the Government is currently conducting a \u201cdiscovery phase\u201d in relation to understanding the issue of duplicate applications. It is right that we will need to meet the needs both of citizens and administrators when considering the right way forward. In discussions with administrators and others to date, it has become clear there are wide-ranging views on whether citizens would use a look-up tool in practice. There are also wide-ranging views on the kind of intervention that would most benefit administrators. That is why our evidence-gathering phase is so important. This discovery phase is also important for us to understand the practical considerations of the different possible solutions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4330", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-11-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-11-08T16:33:10.493Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electoral Register: Internet"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 26 October (HL2496) concerning progress in assessing the benefits of an online registration checking tool, what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which an online registration checking tool could increase electoral registration levels by enabling people to check whether or not they are already registered before attempting to register online, and (2) the amount of time election administration staff would spend checking for duplicate registrations; and how they intend to take into consideration the relative importance of each of those benefits when assessing options.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2484", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Rennard"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Rennard"} ], "uin" : "HL2803"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/606665", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/606665/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government recognises that finding a way to reduce the number of duplicate applications to register to vote would be beneficial for both citizens and electoral administrators. An online registration checking tool is one of many potential solutions.<\/p>
We are currently in the discovery phase of investigating the issue of duplicate applications and are scoping a number of options. Whether or not an online registration checking tool is the most viable solution will only become clear after this work has been completed.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4330", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-10-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-10-26T14:17:29.837Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electoral Register: Internet"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 15 June (HL Deb col 1218), what progress they have made in assessing the benefits of an online registration checking tool.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2484", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Rennard"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Rennard"} ], "uin" : "HL2496"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }