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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including Electoral Returning Officers on the list of public authorities subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Government has not issued guidance on including Returning Officers or Electoral Registration Officers within the definition of local authorities for the Re-use of Public Sector Information.

The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of including Returning Officers of Electoral Registration Officers on the list of public authorities subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, and recommends that they disclose requested information where possible, provided the information is either already in the public domain or does not include personal data.