To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued on the use of personal identifiers to verify (a) postal vote applications, (b) proxy vote applications and (c) postal vote ballot papers in respect to the (i) selection of identifiers and (ii) proportion of papers to be checked. (269947)

The Electoral Commission informs me that it issues detailed guidance to electoral registration officers and returning officers on the verification of personal identifiers included on postal and proxy vote applications and postal voting statements.

The guidance gives full information on the identifiers that may be used by an electoral registration officer to verify a postal or proxy vote application. The guidance also strongly recommends that returning officers should verify 100 per cent. of returned postal voting statements.

The Commission's most recent guidance, for electoral registration officers and local returning officers at the 2009 European parliamentary elections, can be found on the Commission's website:

www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library.