§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to collect figures on the number of prosecutions which take place each year under paragraph 29 of the Representation of the People Regulations 1986. [134408]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienParagraph 29 of the Representation of the People Regulations 1986 makes it an offence to withhold the information which an electoral registration officer (ERO) needs to compile the electoral register. The ERO can report to the Crown Prosecution Service for possible prosecution any cases of refusal to provide the information, or of giving false information. Figures for prosecutions are not separately collected, but indications from EROs are that they are relatively rare. We see no necessity to monitor such cases specially and have no plans to do so.