Speeches

Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-03-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they propose to change the operation of, and access to, the services provided by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

Lord Dunlop

The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his office. Any reforms will ensure that elections and electoral registration will continue to be delivered in the most effective way while placing his office on a sustainable financial footing. I understand work on some of the options for reform remains at an early stage.

In addition to the currently available paper registration process we propose to introduce, by the end of 2016, an on-line registration service. This will improve the registration service offered to people in Northern Ireland.

The consideration of possible structural changes to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland is a matter for the Chief Electoral Officer and it will be for him to consult with stakeholders once the options have been fully explored.