The Electoral Registration Data Schemes Order 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order establishes schemes for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to provide data to specified electoral registration officers, in order to assist them in meeting the registration objectives set out at section 31(8) of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, those being—

(a) that persons who are entitled to be registered in an electoral register are registered in it;

(b) that persons who are not entitled to be registered in an electoral register are not registered in it; and

(c) that none of the information relating to a registered person that appears in a register or other record kept by a registration officer is false.

Article 3 provides that the Secretary of State may provide data to the registration officers under the schemes. The Schedule lists the areas in which schemes have effect and the data which the Secretary of State may provide. That data is the name, address and date of birth of individuals, and related data, for example the date on which the address was last updated and the source of that update. The Secretary of State may only provide data to a registration officer if the data relates to that registration officer’s area.

Article 4 provides that data may only be provided under each scheme before 1st April 2013, for the purpose set out in the 2009 Act and if the Secretary of State and the registration officer have agreed in writing requirements for the processing of data under the schemes. The agreement must include the consequences of failing to comply with the requirements agreed.

Article 5 provides that the date by which the Electoral Commission must produce a report on the operation of each scheme under section 36(3) of the 2009 Act is 30th June 2013.

Article 6 revokes a similar order giving authorisations to provide data which have now expired.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen. However a privacy impact assessment is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside this instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk.