TIME TO STOP PUTTING DEMOCRACY UP FOR SALE

11.56.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jul 2008

The Government must stop forcing Bexley Council to sell local residents' electoral register details to direct mail companies

Liberal Democrat candidate for Old Bexley & Sidcup Duncan Borrowman has welcomed the report by the Information Commissioner recommending that the practice of selling names and personal details from the electoral register be stopped as soon as possible.

"This is a Government which has seemed to specialise in fairly dodgy relationships with big business. So Labour's decision in 2002 to legislate for the sale of electoral registers was just another step in devaluing the political process in favour of the direct marketing industry.

"I know that voters can tick a box to say that they do not give permission for their details to be sold in that way - but not everyone sees the box, but people should need to opt in to the selling of their names by anybody, not opt out. The whole approach in any event just devalues democracy by putting a price tag on voter registration.

"What message does it send that you register to vote in return for the right to receive double-glazing circulars?" Duncan Borrowman asked.

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The Representation of the People ( England and Wales ) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 states that local councils must sell copies of the edited registers to anyone who asks. The wording is:

Sale of edited register

110. - (1) The registration officer shall supply a copy of the edited register to any person on payment of a fee calculated in accordance with paragraph (2) below.

(2) In the case of the register -

(a) in data form, the fee shall be at the rate of £20 plus £1.50 for each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000 entries) in it; and

(b) in printed form, the fee shall be at the rate of £10 plus £5 for each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000 entries) in it.