The Electoral Registration Pilot Scheme Order 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

As part of the introduction of individual electoral registration, under changes made by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c.6), this Order establishes a pilot scheme enabling information about entries in electoral registers in specified areas of Great Britain to be compared with information held by the Secretary of State for Transport about individuals’ driving records and vehicle registration documents (article 4). Information held by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions may also be used in the exercise. Article 5 provides that the comparison must be made for the purposes of verifying existing entries in the electoral register and finding the details of people who are not registered but are entitled to be registered. The Lord President is to inform the ministers and the registration officers involved in the pilot about the results of the comparison and the usefulness of the information in fulfilling those purposes. Under article 7 it is an offence to disclose the information for any other purpose, unless it is required for criminal or civil proceedings. Article 8 requires there to be an agreement between the three ministers and registration officers as to the processing of the information. The Order ceases to have effect on 31st October 2015 (article 2).

An overall impact assessment in relation to the individual electoral registration scheme is available on the Cabinet Office website at https:///www.gov.uk/government/publications/individual-electoral-registration-impact-assessment.