§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy of his Department is on commercial selling of electoral registers to private and commercial organisations; and if he will make a statement. [154454]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienSection 9 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 allows regulations to be made restricting the sale and supply of the full electoral register. Section 9 gives effect to a recommendation of the working party on electoral procedures that each individual registered elector should have the option of deciding whether the details that they have provided should be included in the commercially available register by using an opt out box on the registration form. We hope to publish draft regulations for consultation by Easter.