Prisoners votes: Written Answers Monday 7 March 2011

Prisoners votes:

Written Answers Monday 7 March 2011

Scottish Executive

Elections

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have applied to vote in the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2011, broken down by prison, in light of the possible impact on the Scottish Prison Service.


(S3W-39525)

Jim Mather: Electoral Registration Officers are responsible for maintaining the electoral register and dealing with applications from individuals to register to vote. The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Convicted prisoners cannot currently register to vote in elections. The franchise is the responsibility of the UK Government. UK Ministers have said that any change to the franchise will not apply to this year’s Scottish Parliament elections.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government on the issue of prisoners’ rights to vote since the European Court of Human Rights ruling, in light of the possible impact on Scottish prisons.


(S3W-39532)

Jim Mather: In April 2009 the previous (Labour) UK Government issued its second consultation paper in response to the European Court’s ruling in the Hirst case. In the context of the then government’s conclusion in the light of the Court’s ruling "that prisoners’ right to vote should be determined on the basis of their sentence" the Scottish Government’s response to the UK Government made it clear that the burden on those affected (the Scottish Prison Service, the Court Service and electoral administrators) should be kept to a minimum.

The Scottish Government has since made its general position (that we do not believe that convicted prisoners should be entitled to vote) known in numerous exchanges in the Scottish Parliament.

Source.