asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to bring the voting system in England, Scotland and Wales into line with that in Northern Ireland. [HL3358]

The Government published the Review of Voting Systems in January 2008, which considers the experience of the new voting systems introduced in the United Kingdom since 1997. The review forms part of the ongoing debate on electoral reform, and at this point the Government are not seeking to make changes to the voting systems that are used in elections across the United Kingdom.

At a more detailed level, there are differences in the electoral arrangements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom that have developed over time due to the special circumstances that apply to Northern Ireland. We will take account of the practice and legislative position that applies in the different parts of the United Kingdom in any further development on electoral processes and legislation.

In relation to electoral registration, we are already committed to the principle of individual registration. But this would be a far-reaching reform, and it would need to be undertaken with great care—both to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.