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Wednesday Volume 636 21 February 2018 No. 97 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 21 February 2018 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 139 21 FEBRUARY 2018 140 registered to vote. Ahead of the general election last House of Commons year, a record number of additional applications to register were submitted. The electoral register has reached a record level of 46.8 million electors, and we should be Wednesday 21 February 2018 proud of that. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr Sweeney: The Minister may be interested to know that the turnout in my constituency of Glasgow North East at the last election was 53%, which was well below PRAYERS the national average. It also happens to be an area with some of the lowest incomes and highest unemployment [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] in the country. Research has shown that low-income workers and long-term unemployed people report lower levels of political knowledge and participation in political activities than those from other occupational backgrounds. Oral Answers to Questions Given that they are also less likely to be on the electoral register— CABINET OFFICE AND CHANCELLOR OF THE Mr Speaker: Order. Sit down. What I want is a DUCHY OF LANCASTER single-sentence question. Forgive me, but these prepared screeds are too long, and they are not fair to colleagues—a single sentence, and then sit down. The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was asked— Mr Sweeney: Given that these low-income groups are Parliamentary and Local Elections less likely to be on the electoral register, what is the Minister planning to do to actively engage with them 1. Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab): What steps he is and get them on the electoral register? taking to increase participation by under-represented groups in parliamentary and local government elections. Chloe Smith: As I say, a range of things are set out in [903970] the democratic engagement plan. I look forward to working further with the hon. Gentleman and people 11. Mr Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North East) (Lab/Co-op): across parties in this House and outside it to ensure that What steps he is taking to increase participation by all those who are eligible to vote do so. under-represented groups in parliamentary and local government elections. [903982] Rebecca Pow (Taunton Deane) (Con): Will the Minister The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chloe confirm how she is ensuring that survivors of domestic Smith): Last December, we published our democratic violence can participate in our elections? engagement plan, setting out our current evidence on under-registered groups, our plans for deepening our Chloe Smith: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to understanding of engagement barriers and a commitment raise that very important point. We should be proud to tackling them. This year we are already delivering a that, only last night in the House of Commons, we saw number of projects focusing on young people and linked hon. Members, cross party, supporting ways to make it to the suffrage centenary celebrations. easier for survivors of domestic abuse to be on the register. That is something that we should be proud of Toby Perkins: The electoral roll would be a good in this centenary year. place to start a strategy like that. The Government are perfectly good at finding us when they want our tax, yet Mr Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire) (Con): an estimated 6 million people—predominantly younger Does my hon. Friend agree that one way of increasing urban voters, particularly those in ethnic minorities—are participation is through a clear and trusted voting system? missing from the electoral roll. Everyone who is on Will the Government perhaps look at how they can roll Government registers through the benefit system, the out first past the post in more English elections? tax system and the health system should be on the electoral roll. The boundary changes based on this Chloe Smith: My hon. Friend reminds us that in the flawed register are an undemocratic sham, so why are 2017 Conservative manifesto, there was the commitment the Government working to make it more difficult to to maintain first past the post as the way that we vote in vote, rather than addressing this national scandal? this country and to roll it out to additional elections. I Mr Speaker: Order. That was too long. look forward to speaking further to him about that. Chloe Smith: I do not think that the hon. Gentleman Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab): It is was listening to my answer. We are not trying to make it clear that disabled people are under-represented in our more difficult to register to vote. We have set out a full democracy and our politics, but in 2015, the Minister’s plan about making it easier to do so for the groups who Government abolished the access to elected office fund, need it most. I take this opportunity to make it absolutely which supported many disabled people in meeting the clear that we have a number of record highs on our extra costs in standing for office. How can the Government register. Since the introduction of individual electoral claim to be making democracy more accessible when registration in 2014, more than 30 million people have these financial barriers are put in their place? 141 Oral Answers 21 FEBRUARY 2018 Oral Answers 142 Chloe Smith: The piece of evidence that I am working George Osborne right when he says that the Government on at the moment relates to a call for evidence that came do not have a majority to stop this anymore and might back from work on how to make voting in elections as well get on and embrace it and get the credit? more accessible for those with disabilities. It is important to note that we are talking about a range of disabilities, Mr Lidington: The responsible thing for the Government and not just those that may be visible. That is something to do is to stand by not just the policy we stood on in I am keen to focus on in my work. Indeed, I look the recent general election but what we believe to be forward to working further with the hon. Lady on right, and it is right that the age of majority at 18 is the ensuring that people with any disability feel able not age at which every man and woman in this country only to participate in elections as candidates, but crucially, acquires the full rights and responsibilities of adult to register to vote. citizenship. Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con): Is it not right that, despite the concerns raised, Alex Cunningham: If 16 and 17-year-olds are too individual electoral registration has both increased the childish and irresponsible to vote in local or Westminster roll and helped to reduce fraud? elections, should that not also apply to their ability to vote in Conservative leadership elections? Chloe Smith: That is absolutely correct. According to a 2016 report from the Electoral Commission, both Mr Lidington: We are talking here about electing the completeness and accuracy have risen, and we should Parliament and the Government of the country, and aim to keep it that way. although some 16 and 17-year-olds exercise and demonstrate enormous responsibilities, it is also the case Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East) (SNP): Given the that we make a general protection in our law for 16 and Government’sdetermination to end freedom of movement 17-year-olds—for example, through the criminal justice to and from this country,might this now be an appropriate system. That is another way we recognise that 18 is, on time to embrace the principle that everyone legally average, the right point to make that judgment. resident in this country should have a say in its governance? Would the Minister therefore consider introducing proposals Liz McInnes: Last week, my local authority, Rochdale to allow those born in other countries who decide to Borough Council, approved a motion supporting votes stay and make this country their home after Brexit the at 16 that received cross-party support. When will the right to vote and to welcome them to our democracy? Minister drag himself into the 21st century and get in line with the progressive and forward-thinking councillors Chloe Smith: I am considering this point—a number representing the borough of Rochdale? of points need to be taken into account as we complete an orderly exit from the EU—but the broader point is Mr Lidington: I am always genuinely interested to that if somebody has citizenship in this country they hear what is happening in Rochdale Council, but I draw have the right to vote, which we think is correct. the hon. Lady’s attention to the fact that 26 of our 27 EU partners, as well as Canada, Australia, New Voting Age Zealand and the United States, all have a voting age that begins at 18. I do not think that those countries can 2. Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op): fairly be said to be not in the 21st century. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the voting age to 16. [903971] Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon) (Con): May I encourage my right hon. Friend to follow the wise 6. Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab): What example of the last Labour Government, who, though recent assessment he has made of the potential merits they were in office for 13 years and made many radical of reducing the voting age to 16.