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CORE Electoral Database

Answer

The CORE project remains within its published budget of £9.7 million capital, with a further £2 million non-capital funds being added during the current spending round to support the appointment of the CORE Keeper. The cost of developing CORE from its launch to date, excluding staff costs, is £3,079,648.The CORE project was launched in January 2004 with initial delivery of the project being envisaged in 2006-07. Following project initiation a detailed planning exercise was undertaken and this timescale was subsequently revised to reflect issues highlighted by the political parties in relation to the format and completeness of data held at that time on electoral registers. By undertaking work to introduce electoral registration data standards, CORE should provide a more reliable mechanism for donation checking. Following consultation in 2006-07, and to ensure the system developed would be as rigorous as possible, the scope of the project was expanded and associated timescales amended to accommodate the enhanced functionality now required (including some anti-fraud measures). Current time scales indicate that the full system should be operational in 2011.The data standards were introduced following a direction from my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State (Bridget Prentice) made under section 52 (1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c2) (as amended). The direction requires all Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain to ensure that any electoral registration data held on electronic systems is formatted in compliance with the standards by 1 December 2009.Local authorities have been allocated grants in aid to support the implementation, and the total amount made available is £2.4 million.Another main strand of work is the gathering of user requirements that is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2009. This work has been ongoing throughout 2008 including meetings with relevant organisations, and 13 workshops involving 280 electoral administrators in England, Wales and Scotland.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

483 c1653W; 238807

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Databases Electoral register

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk