To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether remand prisoners are eligible to vote in the constituency in which their prison is located if their last known abode was in a different constituency. (114012)

Section 7A of the Representation of the People Act 1983 sets out the legislation that enables persons remanded in custody to vote. A person held on remand may register to vote within the constituency where he has previously resided or has a local connection. If the length of the period which he is likely to spend in prison on remand is sufficient for him to be regarded as a resident, then he may register to vote in that constituency.