Representation of the People Act 1983

[F1 1A (1) Provision authorising or requiring a person to disclose information to another person for the purpose of assisting a registration officer F2 ...— U.K.

(a) to verify information relating to a person [F3 within sub-paragraph (1A),]

(b) to ascertain the names and addresses of people who are not registered but who are entitled to be registered, or

(c) to identify those people who are registered but who are not entitled to be registered.

[F4 (1A) The following persons are within this sub-paragraph—

(a) a person who is registered in a register maintained by the registration officer;

(b) a person who is named in—

(i) an application for registration in, or alteration of, a register,

(ii) an application (including a partially completed application) under section 13BD, 13BE or 13C, or

(iii) a relevant absent voting application.

(1B) In sub-paragraph (1A)(b)(i), the reference to an application for registration in, or alteration of, a register includes a reference to a partially completed application submitted through the UK digital service.]

(2) Provision made under sub-paragraph (1) may authorise or require the person to whom the information is disclosed—

(a) to compare it with other information;

(b) to disclose the results of the comparison to a registration officer for the purpose mentioned in that sub-paragraph.

(3) The provision that may be made under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) includes provision—

(a) conferring other functions on a person;

(b) authorising the Secretary of State to make grants to a person on whom functions are conferred;

(c) authorising a person to disclose or otherwise process information only in accordance with an agreement;

(d) authorising or requiring a person to disclose or otherwise process information only in accordance with requirements imposed by the Secretary of State;

(e) regulating the manner in which information is disclosed;

(f) requiring the retention or disposal, or otherwise regulating the processing, of information disclosed.

(4) Provision made under this paragraph has effect despite any statutory or other restriction on the disclosure of information.

(5) In this paragraph “processing” has the same meaning as in [F5 Parts 5 to 7 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3(4) and (14) of that Act)].]

[F6 (6) In sub-paragraph (1), the reference to disclosing information includes, in relation to verifying information relating to a person who is named in a relevant registration application or a relevant absent voting application, references to disclosing evidence provided by a person in connection with the application.

(7) In this paragraph—

(a) “relevant absent voting application” means—

(i) an application (including a partially completed application) under paragraph 3, 4 or 6 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000, other than an application in relation to a local government election, or local government elections, in Scotland or Wales, or

(ii) an application (including a partially completed application) under section 6, 7 or 8 of the Representation of the People Act 1985;

(b) “relevant registration application” means an application (including a partially completed application) for registration in, or alteration of—

(i) a register of parliamentary electors, or

(ii) a register of local government electors in England,

and includes a form (or partially completed form) in connection with a canvass under section 10;

(c) “the UK digital service” means a digital service provided by a Minister of the Crown for the registration of electors, and the reference in sub-paragraph (1B) to an application submitted through the UK digital service is a reference to an application submitted using that service as an intermediary.

(8) A notice, including a partially completed notice, under section 8(9) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (cancellation of proxy appointment) is to be treated as a relevant absent voting application for the purposes of this paragraph.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 para. 1A inserted (5.2.2013) by Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c. 6), s. 27(1), Sch. 2 para. 2 (with Sch. 5); S.I. 2013/219, art. 2(c)(d)

F2 Words in Sch. 2 para. 1A(1) omitted (13.3.2014) by virtue of Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 (c. 13), ss. 20(2)(b), 28(1)(e)

F3 Words in Sch. 2 para. 1A(1)(a) substituted (27.8.2022) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 2 para. 4(2); S.I. 2022/916, art. 2(e)

F4 Sch. 2 para. 1A(1A)(1B) inserted (27.8.2022) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 2 para. 4(3); S.I. 2022/916, art. 2(e)

F5 Words in Sch. 2 para. 1A(5) substituted (25.5.2018) by Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12), s. 212(1), Sch. 19 para. 18(2) (with ss. 117, 209, 210); S.I. 2018/625, reg. 2(1)(g)

F6 Sch. 2 para. 1A(6)-(8) inserted (27.8.2022) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 2 para. 4(4); S.I. 2022/916, art. 2(e)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 2 para. 1A: function exercisable by the Scottish Ministers concurrently with a Minister of the Crown (20.3.2015) by The Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedules 4 and 5 and Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/692), arts. 2, 5(3)(b) (with art. 6)