HC Deb 19 July 1999 vol 335 cc403-4W
Mr. Hawkins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals his Working Party on Electoral Procedures has made in relation to access by political parties to the full Electoral Register. [91857]

Mr. George Howarth

In its summary of recommendations, a copy of which is in the Library, the Working Party have proposed that the full register should continue to be available to electoral users as at present. This would include the names of those persons who choose to be excluded from the register that is made commercially available.

Mr. Hawkins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many responses he has received from business and charitable organisations to his consultation on the commercial sale of the Electoral Register. [91856]

Mr. George Howarth

As at 15 July, we had received a total of 99 individual written responses from 87 organisations working in the business and charitable sectors.

Mr. Hawkins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has placed on the Internet the responses to his consultation on the commercial sale of the Electoral Register, and publicised their existence, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guide on written consultation exercises. [91855]

Mr. George Howarth

The press release on 3 August 1998 which publicised the consultation was placed on the Internet. The summary of recommendations of the Working Party on Electoral Procedures, which includes recommendations about sale of the register, is being published on the Internet. The Working Party's final report will also appear there in due course. The Cabinet Office guide does not require the publication of responses to consultation exercises.