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Electoral Administration Bill

That is certainly not the impression that I have been given. I support the thrust of the remarks by the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr. MacNeil) about the need for a comprehensive registration process. Although part of my argument is that we need to bolster the electoral registration process, I would not want hon. Members to think that I believe that we can get back to some halcyon day, and that that process by itself will lead to mass registration. It certainly will not lead to mass registration in my area of London, and I doubt whether it will in other areas up and down the country. We must look more closely at registration. Although I do not normally cite Australia as the perfect example—it has compulsory registration and compulsory voting, which would not be appropriate at this point in the United Kingdom—the fact that more than 98 per cent. of people there are registered to vote is instructive.