Wednesday Volume 616 2 November 2016 No. 55 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 2 November 2016 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2016 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 869 2 NOVEMBER 2016 870 bear in mind the fact that young people are interested in House of Commons issues such as mental health and a curriculum that works for everyone, and those are the issues that are being Wednesday 2 November 2016 debated in the Chamber. We look forward to working with young people to ensure that their voice is heard. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr Speaker: I hope that the Youth Parliament will be sitting under my encouraging chairmanship rather than under my command, but I am extremely grateful to the PRAYERS Minister for the sentiment that he has expressed. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Chris Elmore (Ogmore) (Lab/Co-op): The Minister will be aware that 16-year-olds in Scotland are able to vote for Members of the Scottish Parliament and for councillors, and that the plans for devolution under the Oral Answers to Questions Wales Bill might mean that 16-year-olds are allowed to vote for Welsh Assembly Members and councillors. Will he now give proper consideration to a full and positive report on the need to ensure that 16-year-olds CABINET OFFICE AND THE CHANCELLOR OF can vote for Members of the House of Commons so THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER that there can be full democracy for people aged 16 and over? The Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked— Chris Skidmore: We discussed this issue at the previous Voter Registration: Young People session of Cabinet Office questions. We will not be lowering the parliamentary voting age, because since 1. Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab): What the general election Parliament has debated the proposal steps the Government are taking to increase the number a number of times and repeatedly voted against it. It is of young people registered to vote. [906977] important to recognise that most democracies consider that 18 is the right age to enfranchise young people. A The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chris person must be at least 18 to serve on a jury for similar Skidmore): The Government are building a democracy reasons. that works for everyone, including young people. Online registration has made it easier and faster to register to Mr Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire) (Con): vote, and since its introduction a record 4.2 million My hon. Friend referred to the need to ensure that applications to register have been made by people aged every vote is equal. In the light of the number of spoiled 16 to 24. ballot papers in elections for police and crime commissioners, will he think again about reintroducing Mr Cunningham: That was a very interesting answer. the first-past-the-post system for elections of that kind How can the Government be building a democracy in England? when they have excluded nearly 2 million people who were allowed to vote in the referendum, and are going Chris Skidmore: My hon. Friend is right that we need ahead with boundary reviews that will particularly affect a clear and secure democracy if we are to continue to young people in universities? have confidence in our system. In the elections for police and crime commissioners, about 8 million people Chris Skidmore: We are absolutely committed to voted and there were more than 300,000 spoiled ballot taking account of the issues that matter to young people. papers. For the EU referendum, in which 35 million As for the boundary changes, it is right for us to ensure people voted, there were just 25,000 spoiled ballot papers. that every seat is of equal value. It cannot be right for There is clearly an issue that the Government will want some constituencies to contain 95,000 people and others to look into. 38,000. We will ensure that every vote is equal, and that includes those of young people. Alex Salmond (Gordon) (SNP): Has it occurred to the Minister that if the Government were not so aggressively Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con): As my hon. making it difficult for millions of people to be included Friend will know, next week the Youth Parliament will in the register, and if the previous Prime Minister had sit in this place. Does he agree that many 16, 17 and not so arrogantly dismissed the case for enfranchising 18-year-olds are taking a growing interest in public 16 and 17-year-olds, the referendum result would have affairs and what we do in the House—that is certainly been different, and he would still be Prime Minister? what I find when I visit schools in my constituency—and that such initiatives will help youth registration? Chris Skidmore: It is important to recognise that in the referendum a record number of people voted on one Chris Skidmore: It would be remiss of me not to note side—17.4 million voted for the UK to leave the European that the Youth Parliament will be sitting in this very Union—and that a record 46.5 million people were Chamber on 11 November under your command, registered to vote, of whom 3 million registered using Mr Speaker. I am sure that we all look forward to the individual electoral registration system online. That hearing young people discuss the issues that matter to shows that people have full confidence in the future of them. When it comes to “every vote matters”, we should our new system. 871 Oral Answers 2 NOVEMBER 2016 Oral Answers 872 Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab): Does Chris Skidmore: Wewill ensure that we have a democracy the Minister agree that more young people might register that works for everyone, which is why we are determined to vote if they thought that it would make a positive to ensure that Britons living abroad will, regardless of difference to their lives, and that decisions such as which country they live in, be able to participate in our trebling tuition fees, abolishing the education maintenance democracy, especially those who have lived abroad for allowance and restricting young people’s housing benefit more than 15 years, such as Harry Shindler, a Labour only act as a disincentive for them to become involved voter who lives in Italy and fought in world war two, but in politics? is unable to vote at the moment. It is right that we give these people who have served their country the right Chris Skidmore: The hon. Lady is right, but there is a to vote. problem with young people’s registration: we allow 16-year-olds to register to vote, but only 37% of them Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP): Alongside choose to do so. As I said earlier, we need to take extending suffrage for UK citizens living abroad, what account of the issues that matter to young people. Such consideration has the Cabinet Office given to extending issues will be debated by the Youth Parliament next suffrage in general elections to all EU and non- Friday, but none of those to which the hon. Lady refers Commonwealth immigrants permanently living in Great are on the agenda. Britain and Northern Ireland? Voting Rights: Overseas UK Citizens Chris Skidmore: In terms of local government suffrage, EU citizens can already vote. For parliamentary suffrage, 2. Sir Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con): we are extending the franchise, as my hon. Friend the How he plans to give UK citizens living overseas the Member for Montgomeryshire (Glyn Davies) rightly right to vote for life. [906978] says, to an extra 3.7 million Brits abroad. When it comes to the question of those living in this country, 10. Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con): What obviously that is subject to future negotiations. progress he has made on giving UK citizens living overseas the right to vote for life. [906986] Ian Lavery (Wansbeck) (Lab): At a time when the Government are failing in any serious way to address The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chris the democratic deficit in the UK, they are, as has been Skidmore): On 7 October the Government published a mentioned, pursuing plans to remove the 15-year time policy statement setting out our detailed proposals for limit for overseas voters and to hand a vote for life to an votes for life, and explaining how we plan to meet our estimated 1 million expats. Will the Minister explain manifesto commitment to scrap the 15-year time limit how that might affect Electoral Commission guidelines for overseas voting. We intend the system to be in place on “permissible donors”, and will he assure the House before the next scheduled UK parliamentary general that under no circumstances will the proposed changes election. allow unlimited political financial donations from non-UK taxpayers abroad to be funnelled into the coffers of any Sir Henry Bellingham: I thank the Minister for that UK political party? encouraging reply, but may I return to the subject of cutting the cost of politics? Can he tell us when the Chris Skidmore: First, may I welcome the hon. Government will be able to equalise the size of Gentleman to his place? It is great to see him across the constituencies? Dispatch Box. Chris Skidmore: We are determined that by the time On the issue of overseas electors and ensuring that of the 2020 general election, the historic principle of those living abroad for more than 15 years have a vote equal seats will be in place.