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Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006

I have been looking at the Scottish version. I mourn the fact that we are not moving to individual registration, particularly where the occupier could not care less and therefore may disenfranchise everybody. Indeed, it may not just be due to carelessness or wilful neglect; it may be that that person is away for some time and has not got the rest of the household keyed into doing things on his or her behalf. There continues therefore to be the chance for people to exclude someone who will probably vote the wrong way. You can always do that by claiming, presumably, that he or she is a student somewhere else and will probably register there. Clearly, I am in favour of individual registration. The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, referred to the form itself. I believe that the first sentence of the relevant paragraph on page 4 should read:"““People are entitled to register to vote if they are British, Irish, European or qualifying Commonwealth citizen””." That measure is confusing. I believe that page 5 of the regulations comprises what appears on the back of the form. Under the heading ““Residence””, reference is made to,"““People who are temporarily away—for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital””." It ought to include people who are in the Armed Forces, the Merchant Navy or in prison. Perhaps it should include those people who are living outside Scotland. I have in mind a referendum for which I would like to maximise the number of people registered. Perhaps people such as my step-daughter, who lives in Lincolnshire, ought to have the opportunity to vote under the Scottish local government register. Finally, under the heading ““Nationality””, the form refers to,"““Citizens of other European Union countries””." Are we confident that everybody could name all 25, especially now that many people from eastern Europe, including 10,000 people from Poland, work in Scotland? I know that Poland is in the EU but not everybody else does.