Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/341). Regulation 2 enables a registration officer appointed by a district council where there is a two-tier authority to have access to records held by the relevant county council. Regulation 3 authorises the district council and the county council to disclose information to a registration officer for certain registration purposes.

The Regulations also amend the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Description of Electoral Registers and Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/3198), which amend the 2001 Regulations as part of the introduction of a new system of individual electoral registration in Great Britain.

Regulation 4 provides that, where a registration officer has invited a person whom he has reason to believe would be a special category elector such as an overseas elector or a person with a service declaration, or would have an anonymous entry in the register, to apply to be registered, the officer does not have to carry out follow-up steps such as visiting the elector.

An overall impact assessment in relation to the individual electoral registration scheme is available on the Cabinet Office website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individual-electoral-registration-impact-assessment.