The hon. Gentleman mentioned the MORI poll, which I think was conducted in May and June. Is he worried that such scientific research was conducted during a period in which there was wall-to-wall coverage in the press and on radio and television about postal ballot fraud? Surely, if changes are...

The hon. Gentleman mentioned the MORI poll, which I think was conducted in May and June. Is he worried that such scientific research was conducted during a period in which there was wall-to-wall coverage in the press and on radio and television about postal ballot fraud? Surely, if changes are...

We welcome the intention of the Bill and the Government’s belated recognition that all is not well in our once-envied electoral system. It is in urgent need of attention because there is much work to be done following years of neglect. While we support many of the Bill’s provisions, there...

We welcome the intention of the Bill and the Government’s belated recognition that all is not well in our once-envied electoral system. It is in urgent need of attention because there is much work to be done following years of neglect. While we support many of the Bill’s provisions, there...

I beg to move amendment No. 14, in clause 9, page 6, line 15, at end insert—

I beg to move amendment No. 14, in clause 9, page 6, line 15, at end insert—

May I tell the hon. Gentleman that the figures for under-registration are in the public domain and were produced by the Electoral Commission in September? The figure is between 3.5 million and 4 million people. If single signature or unique identifiers go ahead, there could be a further 10 per...

May I tell the hon. Gentleman that the figures for under-registration are in the public domain and were produced by the Electoral Commission in September? The figure is between 3.5 million and 4 million people. If single signature or unique identifiers go ahead, there could be a further 10 per...

I do not have those figures, but I would be delighted to hear them from the Minister.

I do not have those figures, but I would be delighted to hear them from the Minister.

Obviously, the rules can encourage under-registration or over-registration. Has the hon. Gentleman sized those two different problems? What is the percentage of over-registration compared with the percentage of under-registration for any one given register?

Obviously, the rules can encourage under-registration or over-registration. Has the hon. Gentleman sized those two different problems? What is the percentage of over-registration compared with the percentage of under-registration for any one given register?

The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point—I agree—but our position is that the integrity of the register in itself must be the priority. If there is no integrity within the electoral register, people’s confidence in the system will only decline over time.

The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point—I agree—but our position is that the integrity of the register in itself must be the priority. If there is no integrity within the electoral register, people’s confidence in the system will only decline over time.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for getting on to the terms of amendment No. 14. I understand that, under the 2000 legislation, electors are removed from the register and safeguards are in place, especially where no electoral registration form is returned. What additional over-registration is the hon. Gentleman trying to...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for getting on to the terms of amendment No. 14. I understand that, under the 2000 legislation, electors are removed from the register and safeguards are in place, especially where no electoral registration form is returned. What additional over-registration is the hon. Gentleman trying to...

I agree with my hon. Friend: there can be over and under-representation on the same register, but the priority is to ensure that the register is as accurate as possible. That is the starting block of our democracy. The amendment would ensure that registration officers had a clear duty to...

I agree with my hon. Friend: there can be over and under-representation on the same register, but the priority is to ensure that the register is as accurate as possible. That is the starting block of our democracy. The amendment would ensure that registration officers had a clear duty to...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one can have under-registration and over-registration at the same time, because some people, as the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) suggested, might be registered more than once without such an entitlement? The Government were happy to introduce a Northern Ireland...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one can have under-registration and over-registration at the same time, because some people, as the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) suggested, might be registered more than once without such an entitlement? The Government were happy to introduce a Northern Ireland...

The hon. Gentleman has been dying to give that statistic, and he has now given it.

The hon. Gentleman has been dying to give that statistic, and he has now given it.

No, I shall make headway. Longer-term analysis by the Electoral Commission suggests that there is a disfranchised generation that, as it gets older, will not turn out in greater numbers. We hear little as to what the Government propose to do about that. Increasing political awareness and interest must surely...

No, I shall make headway. Longer-term analysis by the Electoral Commission suggests that there is a disfranchised generation that, as it gets older, will not turn out in greater numbers. We hear little as to what the Government propose to do about that. Increasing political awareness and interest must surely...

There is a fundamental difficulty with that. If someone’s name is inappropriately on the electoral register and he votes, he may commit an offence, but if someone’s name is not on the electoral register, he has no recourse and is precluded from voting by the absence of his name.

There is a fundamental difficulty with that. If someone’s name is inappropriately on the electoral register and he votes, he may commit an offence, but if someone’s name is not on the electoral register, he has no recourse and is precluded from voting by the absence of his name.

That is an issue that we shall come to later. We must be careful not to confuse the overriding need to preserve the integrity of the electoral system with the important but nevertheless secondary issue of increasing voter turnout. The registration process should provide an accurate, comprehensive and secure foundation...

That is an issue that we shall come to later. We must be careful not to confuse the overriding need to preserve the integrity of the electoral system with the important but nevertheless secondary issue of increasing voter turnout. The registration process should provide an accurate, comprehensive and secure foundation...

I hope that my question is precisely on the matter for debate. One issue involving clear mischief is the repetition of names, either because people have moved and should have come off the register at address A when they registered at address B, or because they have registered in the...

I hope that my question is precisely on the matter for debate. One issue involving clear mischief is the repetition of names, either because people have moved and should have come off the register at address A when they registered at address B, or because they have registered in the...

We believe that and we support the provisions that say it, but we want electoral registration officers also to be responsible for ensuring that people who should not be on the roll are not on it. Indeed, the integrity of the system is, from our point of view, the priority...

We believe that and we support the provisions that say it, but we want electoral registration officers also to be responsible for ensuring that people who should not be on the roll are not on it. Indeed, the integrity of the system is, from our point of view, the priority...

I want to ask the hon. Gentleman to address an essential point. Do the Opposition believe that it should be a priority for electoral registration officers to maximise the number of people on the register, to ensure the highest possible turnout at elections?

I want to ask the hon. Gentleman to address an essential point. Do the Opposition believe that it should be a priority for electoral registration officers to maximise the number of people on the register, to ensure the highest possible turnout at elections?

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point that I will make on a later group of amendments. I believe that the answer is none or a negligible number.

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point that I will make on a later group of amendments. I believe that the answer is none or a negligible number.

There is a legal duty to return the electoral registration form. Over the past five years, how many people have been fined for not doing so?

There is a legal duty to return the electoral registration form. Over the past five years, how many people have been fined for not doing so?

I cannot, but I would be interested to hear those figures from the Minister.

I cannot, but I would be interested to hear those figures from the Minister.