To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the commission has made of the privacy of data concerning votes cast electronically in elections; and if he will make a statement. [129581]

In its evaluation of the May 2003 electoral pilot schemes, the commission highlighted the importance of ensuring the confidentiality of vote data in electronic voting. The commission concluded that the level of security in the 2003 pilot schemes was sufficient, but recommended further data encryption requirements for future pilot schemes.