§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of his Department's study into the establishment of a central electoral register in the Library; when the study was commissioned; what the cost was; and if he will make a statement. [136208]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IdeA) was asked in April of this year to consider how access to the separate electoral registers maintained at a local level could be made easier for the purpose of checking that those making political donations were on the register. I will place in the Library a copy of the paper presented by IdeA to a steering group established by them to consider the issues. This group includes representatives of those who have responsibility for the registers and the Home Office. IdeA has undertaken this work as part of its general remit to improve the electronic delivery of services and there has been no charge to the Department.
Discussions are continuing with IdeA and representatives of electoral registration officers. An arrangement for making access to the registers easier and quicker would involve a considerable IT project and is unlikely to be completed before next October. We are considering with IdeA as a matter of urgency what interim arrangements could be made for when the controls on donations set out in the Political Parties, Election and Referendums Bill come into force.