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1336620

registered interest
date	15/06/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to Answer of 2 June 2021 to Question 6510 on Electoral Register, if he will list the meetings he has had, and on what dates, with representatives of (a) civil rights organisations, (b) Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups, (c) disability rights groups and (d) interest groups representing elderly people to discuss electoral participation, voter turnout and the proposals set out in the Electoral Integrity Bill since February 2020.
tabling member constituency	Enfield North
tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
uin	16244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2021 answer text <p>The Cabinet Office has worked, and continues to work, closely with a wide range of charities and civil society organisations to make sure the proposals in the Elections Bill are implemented in a way that is inclusive for all eligible voters.</p><p><strong><br></strong>Details of meetings with external organisations are included in regular transparency reports and can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/06/2021 14:57:05 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1329131

registered interest
date	27/05/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 14 December 2020 (HL10908), what progress has been made on discussions between the Cabinet Office and HMRC about how to better inform people about how to register to vote; and in particular on providing (1) an electronic link, or (2) specific written reference, to the electoral registration website in the National Insurance number letters that they issue.
tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
uin	HL681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>National Insurance Number letters issued by HMRC state that you need your National Insurance Number to register to vote. Cabinet Office officials continue to engage with colleagues in HMRC regarding what further information could be included in the letters to help inform individuals about the registration process, and whether there is scope to include reference to the Register to Vote website in the National Insurance number letters. The Government is committed to making registration as easy as possible and we encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 07/06/2021 15:15:16 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1327557

registered interest
date	24/05/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings he has had with representatives of (a) civil rights organisations, (b) Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups, (c) disability rights groups and (d) interest groups representing elderly people to discuss electoral participation, voter turnout and the proposals set out in the Electoral Integrity Bill since February 2020.
tabling member constituency	Enfield North
tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
uin	6510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2021 answer text <p>The Cabinet Office has worked and continues to work closely with a wide range of charities and civil society organisations to make sure that the proposals in the Elections Bill are implemented in a way that is inclusive for all eligible voters.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 02/06/2021 15:00:06 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1303905

registered interest
date	18/03/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding his Department allocated to improving voter registration in the UK in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	171643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have the statutory responsibility for compiling and maintaining complete and accurate registers for their local areas. The Electoral Commission (EC) is responsible for providing guidance and resources to help EROs and their staff in running electoral registration, for setting standards, and for monitoring the performance of EROs. The Commission runs campaigns to raise awareness of how people can register to vote, and how to cast their vote.</p><p>The Government ensures that EROs have the tools that they need to do their job efficiently. For example, changes to the annual canvass in Great Britain has provided EROs with greater flexibility to target their resources where they are needed, rather than on the majority of properties, where nothing has changed.</p><p>The Government is committed to encouraging democratic engagement amongst all electors, including underrepresented groups. Since 2013, the Government has provided more than £27m to fund activities to promote electoral registration and democratic engagement more widely.</p><p>Third-party organisations delivered events and activities during National Democracy Week (NDW), and the Government facilitated workshops with Democratic Engagement Champions in preparation for the week. The Government has no plans to run NDW in 2021. Instead, the Government will focus on its unique responsibilities as legislator, funder and promoter of good practice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 171644 171645 171646 171647 question first answered 23/03/2021 17:53:56 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1256450

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the data held by the Office for National Statistics on the Parliamentary electorate of each polling district and local authority ward as of 2 March.
tabling member printed	Lord Hayward
uin	HL10870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>The conduct of the next boundary review is a matter for the independent Boundary Commissions.</p><p>We are in regular contact with the Boundary Commissions to ensure that any issues, such as the data to be used in the next boundary review, are appropriately addressed.</p><p>The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that Electoral Statistics for the 2 March 2020 are scheduled to be published on 5 January 2021.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord True grouped question UIN HL10868 HL10869 question first answered 14/12/2020 17:46:33 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	863 label Biography information for Lord Hayward

1256527

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord True on 26 November (HL Deb, col 397), what plans they have to ensure the provision of a link to the online electoral registration process in their electronic and other communications notifying people of their National Insurance numbers; and what steps they intend to take to consult with (1) the Electoral Commission, (2) Electoral Registration Officers, and (3) others, about the best ways of using such a process to improve the completeness of the electoral registers, without reducing accuracy, in a cost effective manner.
tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
uin	HL10905
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have the statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government’s role is to ensure EROs have the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. This includes, for example, the recent changes to the annual canvass in Great Britain which will improve its overall efficiency considerably which will allow EROs to focus their efforts on hard to reach groups, and play an important role in helping to maintain register accuracy and completeness.</p><p>As it stands, National Insurance Number letters issued by HM Revenue and Customs state that you need your National Insurance Number to register to vote. Cabinet Office officials are in discussions with colleagues in HMRC regarding what further information could be included to help inform individuals about the registration process, and if it may be clarified.</p><p>The Government is committed to making registration as easy as possible and we encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote.</p><p>Responsibility for the design of electoral registration forms, including the Invitation to Register form and all Canvass Communications lies with the Electoral Commission, with the Government providing final approval. The Electoral Commission undertakes extensive user testing of the forms to ensure they are as effective as possible at eliciting the appropriate response. Cabinet Office officials are regularly consulted by the Electoral Commission during the design stages of any new forms and also when changes are proposed to existing forms.</p> answering member printed Lord True grouped question UIN HL10906 HL10907 HL10908 question first answered 14/12/2020 17:49:05 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1256528

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord True on 26 November (HL Deb, col 397), what plans they have to provide a link to the online electoral registration process to those people provided with National Insurance numbers over the last two years in time for those people to register in time for the elections scheduled in May 2021; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such provision on the registration levels for that group.
tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
uin	HL10906
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have the statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government’s role is to ensure EROs have the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. This includes, for example, the recent changes to the annual canvass in Great Britain which will improve its overall efficiency considerably which will allow EROs to focus their efforts on hard to reach groups, and play an important role in helping to maintain register accuracy and completeness.</p><p>As it stands, National Insurance Number letters issued by HM Revenue and Customs state that you need your National Insurance Number to register to vote. Cabinet Office officials are in discussions with colleagues in HMRC regarding what further information could be included to help inform individuals about the registration process, and if it may be clarified.</p><p>The Government is committed to making registration as easy as possible and we encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote.</p><p>Responsibility for the design of electoral registration forms, including the Invitation to Register form and all Canvass Communications lies with the Electoral Commission, with the Government providing final approval. The Electoral Commission undertakes extensive user testing of the forms to ensure they are as effective as possible at eliciting the appropriate response. Cabinet Office officials are regularly consulted by the Electoral Commission during the design stages of any new forms and also when changes are proposed to existing forms.</p> answering member printed Lord True grouped question UIN HL10905 HL10907 HL10908 question first answered 14/12/2020 17:49:05 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1256530

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord True on 3 September (HL Deb, col 500), what plans they have to ensure that electoral registration forms are designed as effectively as possible using standards of best practice to increase the rate of return; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such forms, and any accompanying letters, consistently draw prominent attention to the legal requirements to comply with the registration process with reference to the appropriate maximum fines or penalties.
tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
uin	HL10908
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have the statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government’s role is to ensure EROs have the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. This includes, for example, the recent changes to the annual canvass in Great Britain which will improve its overall efficiency considerably which will allow EROs to focus their efforts on hard to reach groups, and play an important role in helping to maintain register accuracy and completeness.</p><p>As it stands, National Insurance Number letters issued by HM Revenue and Customs state that you need your National Insurance Number to register to vote. Cabinet Office officials are in discussions with colleagues in HMRC regarding what further information could be included to help inform individuals about the registration process, and if it may be clarified.</p><p>The Government is committed to making registration as easy as possible and we encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote.</p><p>Responsibility for the design of electoral registration forms, including the Invitation to Register form and all Canvass Communications lies with the Electoral Commission, with the Government providing final approval. The Electoral Commission undertakes extensive user testing of the forms to ensure they are as effective as possible at eliciting the appropriate response. Cabinet Office officials are regularly consulted by the Electoral Commission during the design stages of any new forms and also when changes are proposed to existing forms.</p> answering member printed Lord True grouped question UIN HL10905 HL10906 HL10907 question first answered 14/12/2020 17:49:05 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1251331

registered interest
date	12/11/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to introduce automatic voter registration in response to the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	114939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>Electoral Registration Officers have statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate electoral registers for their areas. The Government seeks to make registration as easy as possible and to work with many others to reduce any barriers to registration. We encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote, and registering to vote has never been easier or more convenient.</p><p>The Government opposes automatic registration as it contradicts the principle that individuals are responsible for registering and that this should be done at a time and place of their choosing. Automatic registration would raise privacy and security concerns. It would also risk introducing errors and inaccuracies to the registers, creating unwarranted opportunities for fraud.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 114938 question first answered 17/11/2020 17:08:32 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1203509

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Electoral Register
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the annual canvass produces an (1) comprehensive, and (2) accurate, record of the electorate in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick
uin	HL5710
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, made in October 2019, introduced comprehensive reform to the annual canvass. Canvass Reform has provided Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with greater flexibility to target their resources in a way which best suits their local area, while at the same time reducing their overall administrative burden. The reforms also make the canvass more effective for citizens, as the initial data matching step means that many will no longer have to respond to the canvass each year.</p><p>Ensuring that the electoral register is both accurate and complete is the legislative responsibility of EROs and the Government is supporting EROs to be able to meet this requirement. Preparations to undertake the 2020 Annual Canvass under the reformed system are well underway and Cabinet Office officials have ensured a comprehensive package of training has been provided and direct support is in place.</p><p>In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide additional flexibility to EROs, the Government is also introducing legislation this summer to extend the publication date of the annual register from December 2020 to February 2021. This will provide EROs with greater flexibility and further time to produce a comprehensive and accurate record of the electorate.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 29/06/2020 14:28:34 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick