Ms Petra Woods:

In answer to the first question regarding who owns the improvements, electoral registration has always been a matter for individual local authorities. Each local authority is a registration authority in respect of its own administrative area. It is that local authority's responsibility to maintain that register. Regarding the improvements we have provided for, we have done this by creating a more flexible context for local authorities to operate in. They can now update the register on a rolling basis and this is what Mr. Ryan alluded to. We have also made it easier for people to engage and to provide the local authorities with the information they need to update the register, either concerning their own details or those of others, including people who are deceased, for example, and so on.

In addition to the work of improving the data as they go, we have also put in place this reporting relationship with the Electoral Commission to ensure that not only are they doing the work but that they can report annually on it. This can include what the local authorities are doing and how that work is contributing to improving accuracy and completeness. What we are seeing now is almost the full cycle, complete with the reporting to the Electoral Commission having taken place, and it is due to report now on how that work is progressing and is going to be measured.