The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1451 (“the 2019 Regulations”) make provision in relation to the reformed annual canvass in respect of a parliamentary register of electors and local government register of electors in England. The Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2019/  (W. ) will make provision for the reformed annual canvass to apply to a register of local government electors in Wales.

This Order amends the provisions on the annual canvass in the Representation of the People Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”). Article 3 amends section 9A(2) to amend the provision in respect of the steps which a registration officer must take for the purposes of complying with his duty to maintain the register of local government electors. Article 4 amends section 9D of that Act in 2 ways. First, it amends subsection (4) by giving a further example of a function that may be conferred on the Electoral Commission by way of regulations. Second, it amends subsection (5) by adding to the list of examples for which a registration officer may make house to house inquiries for the purposes of the canvass.

Article 5 amends paragraph 3C of schedule 2 of the 1983 Act to allow Scottish Ministers to make regulations authorising or requiring a registration officer conducting a canvass for the purposes of a register of local government electors in Scotland to take steps for the purposes of obtaining information when conducting the canvass.

The Scottish Government has prepared and is publishing on its website a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment.