§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many(a) adults and (b) adults registered to vote there 562W were in each parliamentary constituency in descending order according to the disparity between the two figures. [133049]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Chris Ruane, dated 21 October 2003:
As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question, asking how many (a) adults and (b) adults registered to vote there were in each parliamentary constituency in descending order according to the disparity between the two figures. (133049)I am placing in the House of Commons Library a table which shows the count of adults (that is persons aged 18 and over) in each Parliamentary Constituency in England and Wales, taken from the published 2001 Census Report for Parliamentary Constituencies, compared with electoral register data from February 2001. It has been sorted in descending order, according to the disparity between the two. There are a number of reasons, which I have outlined below, why these counts can vary so greatly and why some constituencies have more registered voters than the Census counted resident adults. Therefore. the data has been sorted, with the constituency showing the greatest number of adults not on the electoral register at the top, and the constituency showing the greatest number of adults registered to vote but not resident in that constituency according to the Census at the bottom.The Census and electoral register data are not directly comparable for a number of reasons. These include definitional differences in the way the sources are compiled, differences in the timing of the data for each source being collected, and the delay in people being removed from the electoral register in a constituency after they move away from the area. In addition to this, it is possible for people to be on the electoral register in more than one constituency or none at all.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary. Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the local authority registration departments that are(a) adopting and (b) not adopting the best practice electoral registration procedures outlined in the Electoral Commission report of 2002, "Making an Impact". [133055]
§ Mr. LeslieThis information is not collected by my Department. The independent Electoral Commission is planning to undertake and complete early next year research building upon reports it has published in the past year, including "Making an Impact", in order to promote best practice guidance on tackling under-registration. The Government will consider carefully this research which we understand is intended to lead to the establishment of a national framework for the continued monitoring of electoral registration rates. The Electoral Commission is responsible for offering advice and guidance to electoral registration officers on these and other matters and will continue to encourage registration through various promotional activities.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research on registration rates he has commissioned in the past three years; and what future research he intends to commission on this subject. [133056]
§ Mr. LeslieResearch on registration rates has not been carried out by this Department or those responsible for electoral matters during the past three 563W years. The independent Electoral Commission, set up in 2000 with a remit to keep under review electoral law and practice, has carried out such research since then publishing reports examining the local promotion of electoral registration and voter engagement among black and minority ethnic communities. Arising from its more recent report, "the Electoral Registration Process" the Commission is planning to undertake and complete early next year a further research project to identify the extent and nature of under-registration in particular communities in Britain as well as reviewing the operation and impact of rolling registration. The Government welcomes this proposal and will give due consideration to any further recommendations the Commission may make as it does to all of the Commission's recommendations concerning electoral registration arrangements.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the authorities that have initiated proceedings against individuals who fail to register to vote. [133057]
§ Mr. LeslieThis information is not collected centrally. The Representation of the People Act 1983 requires electoral registration officers (EROs), appointed by local authorities for the purpose, to compile the electoral register. Regulation 23 of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 permits an ERO to564W require any person to give information required for the purposes of that officer's duties in maintaining registers of parliamentary and local government electors. It is an offence punishable upon conviction by a fine not exceeding £1,000 for a person to fail to comply with a request for information from an ERO, or to give false information to an ERO. Prosecutions for non-compliance are initiated at local discretion.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out the Department's assessment of the main reasons for substantial falls in electoral registration rates in the UK over the past six years. [133058]
§ Mr. LeslieThe Government are concerned at the apparent drop in electoral registration in recent years. We are aware of a number of possible contributing factors, but do not wish to prejudge the conclusions of the independent Electoral Commission which is planning to undertake and complete next year research on this subject, building on reports it has published in the past year. The Government welcome this proposal and will give due consideration to any further recommendations the Commission may make as it does to all of the Commission's recommendations concerning electoral registration arrangements.