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Elections

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 6 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on (a) voting age, (b) a referendum on using the alternative vote for elections to the House of Commons and (c) voting rights for prisoners. (308326)

I can confirm that (a) the Government are considering the recommendations made by the Youth Citizenship Commission in relation to lowering the voting age but has no current plans to legislate, (b) the Prime Minister has set out our commitment to a referendum being held early in the next Parliament for the people to decide whether they want to move to the Alternative Vote system for elections to the House of Commons, for which legislation will be required and (c) the Government are carefully analysing the responses to the second stage consultation on the voting rights of prisoners detained in the UK and will consider the next steps once this has concluded.