HC Deb 09 June 2003 vol 406 cc672-3W
Mr. Walter

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to grant voting rights to citizens of EEA countries resident in the United Kingdom at local and European elections. [116925]

Yvette Cooper

Under Council Directives 93/109/EC and 94/80/EC, citizens of member states of the European Union (EU) resident in the United Kingdom are already able to vote in European parliamentary and local elections in the United Kingdom. All EU member states are also members of the EEA. There are no plans to extend these voting rights to citizens of the member states of the EEA that are not also members of the EU.