Lord Rogan (UUP)

My Lords, on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I would welcome some clarity from the Minister on two aspects of these regulations. First, we are keen to know how many checks the Government expect the Electoral Office to carry out on individual voters to ensure that they are genuinely resident in a Northern Ireland household before giving them a vote. It is a simple fact, and one which some noble Lords may not be aware of, that we currently have people living in the Republic of Ireland but with a registered address in Northern Ireland, often that of a relative. Not only does this give them a vote in Northern Ireland; it also allows them to register with a GP and receive free National Health Service care in the Province, courtesy of the British taxpayer. This situation has been allowed to develop because the Electoral Office seems simply to take the word of those who complete the canvass forms, without conducting any additional checks. Can the Minister advise the Committee how His Majesty’s Government intend to address this situation, which I am sure she will agree is unacceptable? Secondly, in our view, the application process for absent votes is open to serious abuse. As the Minister will be aware, to obtain a postal or proxy vote under these regulations, the applicant will need a digital registration number and their national insurance number. However, those details are now in the possession of some of the political parties standing for election in Northern Ireland, with few checks on their signatures. What assurances can she offer us to counter the very real threat of votes being stolen or misused under these rules?