Votes for 16 and 17-year-olds Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Votes for 16 and 17-year-olds

Christopher Chope Excerpts
Tuesday 18th December 2012

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Wayne David Portrait Wayne David
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For me, the bottom line is that, if a young person aged 16 can give full consent to medical treatment, leave school and enter work or training, pay income tax and national insurance, obtain tax credits and welfare benefits in their own right, consent to sexual relationships, get married or enter a civil partnership, change their name by deed poll—

Christopher Chope Portrait Mr Christopher Chope (in the Chair)
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Order. Interventions must be brief.

Wayne David Portrait Wayne David
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I am just coming to the end. They may also join the armed forces and become a company director. Surely, if all those things apply, logically, why should voting be exempt?