Representation of the People Bill
24 March 2026
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Representation of the People Bill House of Commons
00:01 - 00:21
Speaker 1
We had just started group six before we adjourn this morning's session. I call the minister to speak to the question that clause seven stand part, which it will be convenient to debate clauses eight fourteen stand part of the bill. Minister. Thank you, madam Donna, and it's
00:21 - 03:24
Speaker 2
a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. Members, if they will indulge me, I have covered clause seven, so I will turn to clause eight, which, if you remember, sets out five specific circumstances in which the prohibitions put in place by clause seven do not apply. The first fact circumstance in which the registration information of an individual under the age of 16 may be shared is if that disclosure is necessary either for registrations or for the conduct of an election, referendum, recall petition, or other form. This simply allows for electoral administrators to carry out their work. An example of this in action would be an electoral registration officer to use the data of a 14 or 15 year old in order to conduct the annual canvas.
The canvas would help ensure that the young person in question is still accurately registered at the address which electoral administration administrators have on file. Another illustration of the purpose of this circumstance would be in preparation of a poll. For example, clerks at polling stations must have an extract of the electoral register for electors who will vote at that polling station. There may be circumstances in which that registered extract will be prepared in advance of polling day and this provision allows that extract to include individuals who will turn 16 on polling day but at the moment of the preparation of the extract there is still 15. The second circumstance provides that the registration information of an individual under the age of 16 may be shared in accordance with one of a limited number of supply enactments, specifically those supply enactments listed in clause 11.
A supply enactment is a provision to allow either the entire register or the relevant part of the register to be supplied to a certain individual or organisation. The specific supply enactments, where the disclosure of under sixteen's registration information is permitted, is listed at clause 11, and as such I will discuss those enactments in detail during debate on clause 11. However, this clause applies two crucial limits on disclosure of 14 and 50 year olds registration information as part of a relevant supply enactment, which I will explain now. First, disclosure under a relevant supply enactment may only be made for purposes related to an election at which a given person will be entitled to vote. This will allow information of individuals under the age of 16 to be protected, while also allowing individuals who will be old enough to vote in specific polls to be included in campaigning activities relating to that poll.
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