§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide such estimates as are available as to the number of potential electors who have failed to register for the current register; how this compares with each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe most recent estimates are those made by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in a published survey of electoral registration. The survey indicated that in 1981, 6.5 per cent. of eligible people in Great Britain were not included in the electoral register for their qualifying address. This compared with a figure of 3.5 to 4 per cent. found in a comparable survey in 1961. The Home Office has taken a range of initiatives in the light of the 1981 survey aimed at increasing the accuracy of the electoral register. We shall be continuing to work for improvements.