Part of Electronic Devices (Madam Speaker's Statement) – in the House of Commons at 5:47 pm on 12 March 1997.
One of the advantages of the electoral registration system in Northern Ireland is that there is a full canvass for checking that the correct people are on the register. If that were extended to England, Wales and Scotland, the registration figures there would increase considerably. That means that a rolling register would not have the serious implications for Northern Ireland that the hon. Gentleman fears.