Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it remains Government policy that convicted prisoners are ineligible to vote in (a) local and (b) national elections.

The UK Government’s position is clear that no convicted prisoner should vote. We have maintained that position for all elections that fall within the UK Parliament’s competence

The Scottish Parliament has competence over criminal justice and prisons in Scotland. Since 2016 it has also had competence over local government and Scottish parliamentary elections. The Scottish Government has subsequently extended the right to vote in these elections to convicted prisoners sentenced to 12 months or less.