Electoral Administration Bill

I am grateful to the noble Baroness for raising in her amendment a number of key points, which I am looking forward to debating in some detail. I hope that I can reassure her on a number of issues. First, there will eventually be one CORE scheme. The idea is that we should have a database that covers the whole of the United Kingdom, which will enable us to use the scheme effectively—for example, political parties will be able to access it. The purpose of talking about ““schemes”” is to enable us to set up, trial and pilot the system properly. One thing that we want to look at is how to use CORE effectively, so that, for example, people will ultimately be able to amend their details, perhaps online—we will talk a little more about that in relation to other amendments. We need to ensure that we have the technology in place to be able to do that and, of course, security issues will be critical. I say ““perhaps”” because we may not want to do that, but we need to ensure that we have the system right. We want to roll it out not in a big-bang way, but in a way that enables us to address the concerns that are raised. The concerns that I hear more often than not from noble Lords are about computer schemes and technology; at least, those are the issues that seem to be raised whenever I am involved. We do not want to move too quickly to a scheme that might then fall over. The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, rightly said that the consultation is ongoing. I will endeavour to keep your Lordships up to speed with where we are on that as time progresses; I would not want the Committee not to have the benefit of that. Anything that is set up will be done so through the affirmative procedure, which the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee has looked at. We think it important that your Lordships’ House and another place have the opportunity to look again at the issues involved. I think of CORE as being not a burden but an opportunity. If we get it right, as we intend to do, electoral registration officers will be sending batches of information up to what is essentially not the register but a record. They will be able to do that quickly and easily. That is another reason to ensure that we get this right through working with people on the ground effectively. I hope that, as we go through the amendments and discuss the scheme in more detail, I will allay the concerns of the noble Baroness. These are important issues about ensuring that we do this properly. We must ensure that we do not create burdens and that we are certain of the technology and the processes that we put in place. Critically, we must—I think that this lies beneath what the noble Baroness is saying, too—work with people on the ground who will be dealing with the system, so that we have a scheme that is fit for purpose and with which people are comfortable and happy. I will endeavour to tackle those issues in Committee and at later stages, as well as in conversation, but I hope that, at least at this point, the noble Baroness will think that I am on the road to doing that and will feel able, as a result of the reassurances that I have given, to withdraw her amendment.