Question

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration rates were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 15 years.

The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold data on the electoral registration rate for each of the last 15 years.

However, the Commission has periodically carried out specific research on levels of registration in Northern Ireland. This found that the local government register for Northern Ireland was 83.4% complete in December 2007 and 73% complete in April 2012.

Following the publication of findings for the April 2012 register, a household canvass was conducted in Northern Ireland in autumn 2013. After the canvass, the Commission reviewed the results and concluded that it had been well run and significantly improved the completeness of the register. The Commission's report can be found here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/166999/Report-on-the-Northern-Ireland-electoral-registration-canvass-2013.pdf