Agenda item

This report brings to the Scrutiny Committee an interim report with findings and recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee’s task group investigation on how to promote electoral engagement in light of the change to Individual Electoral Registration (IER).

The Chair invited Councillor Nerva, Chair of the promoting electoral engagement (IER) task group to present the interim report.  Councillor Nerva began by stating that the final report was due to go to the committee on 26 November and he thanked members of the task group and officers for the work done to date.  He stated that the task group had covered a lot of ground since it had been set up and had worked with a number of organisations, including Brent Housing Partnership and voluntary sector organisations and a meeting with health professionals was due to take place later in November in respect of the role GP registers could make in helping to ensure residents were on the electoral register.  Councillor Nerva emphasised the importance of voting, however he commented some residents were indifferent to the issue and Brent, along with a number of other London boroughs, had historically been underrepresented.  The task group’s role sought to address this issue, particularly in the light of the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER).  Furthermore, residents needed to be informed that failing to appear on the electoral register could affect them in a number of other ways, such as difficulty in obtaining credit.  Councillor Nerva advised that Scotland had achieved a registration rate of 97%, and this should be Brent’s too, however it would have to work in a very different way than previously to achieve this because of the challenges posed by IER.  Members heard that local voluntary organisations and CVS Brent had offered to work with Electoral Services to help the harder to reach in the community.  It was also recommended that new residents to the borough receive details of signing up to IER in a welcome pack, whilst local councillors could also play a role in highlighting the importance of registering.

Councillor Nerva advised that some of the findings of the task group had been surprising, including the fact that the group most likely to not be registered were the 20 to 30 year olds and efforts to encourage this group to register needed to be undertaken, such as informing them that they can register on-line and that they would need to know their national insurance number.  Councillor Nerva concluded by stating that the borough was one of the first local authorities to undertake scrutiny on electoral registration and IER and the findings could also prove helpful to other local authorities. The final report may also identify where electoral registration was low for a particular ward or polling district, or even within a polling district, with the help of geographic information system (GIS).

With the approval of the Chair, a member of the public addressed the committee. The member of the public stated that it was the public duty of residents to ensure that they were on the electoral register and that it should be made clear that they had the option to opt out of the edited public register if they were worried about being contacted by third party organisations. 

Councillor Pavey (Deputy Leader of the Council) welcomed the report and the partnership led approach taken.  He felt that electoral registration would increase through working with the voluntary sector and community groups, as well as schemes such as private landlord licensing. 

During discussion, it was remarked that certain groups in the community were hard to engage with and this challenge would require creative solutions.  However, the interim report gave early positive indicators and the final report was keenly awaited.  Another member commented that there were a number of residential care homes and residents with learning disabilities in the borough and she enquired what steps were being taken to ensure that they were registered.  In addition, she asked if electoral registration was promoted in sixth form colleges and those at school who were between 16 to 18 years old, whilst there was also a role for political parties to play in encouraging registration.  It was queried whether suggestions to promote electoral registration and IER could also be given by other councillors as well as members of the committee.

In reply, Councillor Nerva advised that Brent Mencap had provided feedback to the task group and citizenship issues were part of client’s care plans.  He stated that political parties could participate in promoting electoral registration and they would benefit from being given advice on what they would be permitted to do.  He stated that IER was not a one off event and that practical engagement to emphasise the importance of registering would need to continue.  Councillor Nerva welcomed any further suggestions for the final report from the committee and any other councillor. 

Christopher Young (Senior Policy Officer, Assistant Chief Executive’s Service) advised that a data matching exercise comparing address details held by Adult Social Care for those with learning disabilities had surprisingly revealed that such residents were more likely than the general population to be registered to vote, with 79% registered compared to 67.7% amongst the general population.  He also confirmed that the Brent Youth Parliament was working with schools and sixth form colleges in advising them of the importance of being on the electoral register.

Thomas Cattermole (Head of Executive and Member Services, Legal and Procurement) advised that guidance for members in respect of promoting electoral registration and IER to residents was being developed and a Member Development Programme session on IER was taking place in December 2014.

Sean O’Sullivan (Electoral Services Manager, Legal and Procurement) advised that there were strong links with the accommodation managers of university halls of residence in the borough and this was used to help promote electoral registration amongst students.

The Chair welcomed the interim report and confirmed that the final report would be considered at the next committee meeting on 26 November 2014.