Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, [with reference to the policy paper entitled Protecting the integrity of our elections: Voter identification at polling stations and the new Voter Card, published by the Cabinet Office on 6 January 2022, what assessment he has made of the demographic composition of the 2 percent of voters which the Cabinet Office estimates will not have the required documents for voting after the changes proposed in the Elections Bill.

Under our proposals for introducing voter identification, everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so. Any eligible voter who does not have one of the wide range of acceptable forms of photographic identification, can apply for a free, local Voter card from their local authority. The Electoral Commission will provide a comprehensive, targeted communications campaign and guidance, raising awareness throughout the electorate of the new voter identification requirements. Likewise, the Government will continue to work with charities and civil society organisations across the UK to ensure that voter identification works for all voters, and all groups are aware of the new requirements.