To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to identity checks on applicants to register as voters on people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment; whether he has sought legal advice on the compatibility of those proposed changes with (a) the Equality Act 2010 and (b) the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.
Answered on
15 January 2015
In accordance with the Representation of the People Regulations (for both England, Wales and Scotland) 2001, information provided in Individual Electoral Registration (IER) applications is checked against government records to verify the identity of applicants. As part of this, provision of information about a change of name within the last 12 months is mandatory. Provision of previous names beyond this timeframe is voluntary. This is consistent with the relevant provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998.