To ask Her Majesty's Government in how many constituencies returning officers have indicated that they will check 100 per cent of the personal identifiers (signature and date of birth) which accompany postal votes returned in their constituencies at the forthcoming general election; and what were the reasons given in the cases where they do not intend to do so. [HL1452]

Under regulation 84 (1A) of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 (as amended), the returning officer is required to verify a minimum of 20 per cent of postal vote statements. This is a robust figure for sample checking and is sufficient to indicate whether a systematic attempt is being made to commit electoral fraud. A higher percentage of postal vote statements may be checked at the discretion of the returning officer. The Government will provide funding for 100 per cent of postal vote statements to be verified at the forthcoming UK parliamentary election, as was the case for the European parliamentary elections in June 2009.

The Government do not collect data on the intentions of returning officers in relation to checking of identifiers. Accordingly, we have made no estimate of the total number of returning officers at the next UK parliamentary general election who intend to check 100 per cent of postal vote statements. However, the Electoral Commission report The European Parliamentary and Local Government Elections June 2009 stated that “the vast majority of returning officers across Great Britain checked personal identifiers on all returned postal voting statements”. There were 399 local returning officers in Great Britain at the 2009 European poll.

The Electoral Commission subsequently surveyed the small minority of returning officers who had checked less than 80 per cent of postal vote statements at the 2009 elections—18 in total, of whom 16 had responded by 1 December 2009. Ten of the 16 respondents indicated that they are planning to check personal identifiers on all returned postal voting statements at next year's elections. Of the remaining six respondents, two returning officers indicated that the cost of software licences, scanners or staffing caused them difficulties with 100 per cent checking. The remaining four respondents indicated that they do not intend to exercise their discretion to check a higher percentage than the minimum required in statute.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial provision there is for equipment enabling returning officers to check 100 per cent of the personal identifiers which accompany postal votes returned in their constituencies. [HL1453]

All local authorities were allocated resources when postal voter personal identifier checking was first introduced in 2007 to enable them to buy the necessary equipment. Returning officers are also entitled to claim reimbursement from the Consolidated Fund for their reasonable expenses in conducting the poll, including the costs of any further personal identifier checking equipment which may be necessary. Claims for such equipment can be made on the same basis as for any other necessary electoral equipment. The Government have also allocated funding to meet the staffing costs of verifying 100 per cent of postal vote statements at the forthcoming UK parliamentary election.