Question

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he has received a report from electoral registration officers in Scotland on removal of people from the electoral register on the grounds that they are additionally registered elsewhere; what guidance he issues to electoral registration officers on how to use their discretion when registering residents; and if he will make a statement.

I have had no reports on the removal of people from the electoral register in Scotland on the grounds that they were additionally registered elsewhere.

People are free to register in more than one place if it appears to the relevant Registration Officers that they are resident in that area.

The Electoral Commission has produced guidance on this issue to assist Registration Officers in effectively carrying out their duties.

However, it is ultimately a matter for the local Registration Officer to determine whether an individual is resident at a particular address, taking into account relevant circumstances of the particular case.