Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill, what his Department’s definition is of a British citizen usually resident in the United Kingdom; and what (a) immigration and (b) domiciled status this requires.

The British Nationality Act 1981 sets out who is a British citizen and how British citizenship may be obtained.

Section 5 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 lays down general principles of residence for electoral purposes, which a registration officer must follow when deciding whether a person is resident at a particular address. The Electoral Commission’s guidance sets out clearly that each decision about residence should be made by the registration officer on a case-by-case basis.