Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the Government's policy is on voting rights for prisoners with short sentences.

Our policy on prisoner voting is well established – this Government will not allow convicted offenders behind bars to vote.

At the same time, we are addressing an anomaly which allows those offenders on Home Detention Curfew to vote but not offenders who are released on temporary licence.

Under the changes, up to a hundred offenders on short sentences, released on temporary licence into the community within twelve months of sentencing will be eligible to vote if an election is called during that period.