Official Report: search what was said in Parliament
The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
May I ask a question, convener?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
I have one other quick question. You said that you feel that the single transferable vote system is the one system that we have the biggest challenge with. I am not entirely sure about that, frankly, because I think that it is one thing to understand how you vote but another thing to understand what the calculation of the vote means. Frankly, I do not think that d’Hondt is understood even in this place. What more can be done to educate us all about the mysteries of d’Hondt?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
You are fundamentally blaming the politicians for choosing the system.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
That is a real concern in terms of our—
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
I hear all of that loud and clear, and I appreciate it, but it does not answer my question. Why is there a lag between what is happening in the rest of Great Britain—it is a GB number that we are quoting—and what is happening in Scotland? That concerns me deeply. I do not know what the total estimated voting public is in Scotland, but it must be about 3.5 million. Are we saying that 1 million of 3.5 million are not registered? That is extraordinary.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
Why do you think that is? What is your analysis? I suppose that we could draw a parallel with the census return, which was virtually catastrophic in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
Can you comment on the accuracy issue? Again, and for information purposes and context, when an individual who is on the register no longer lives at the address, accuracy is at 9.7 per cent in Scotland. That figure is pretty much the same across the United Kingdom, is it not?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
If those numbers are correct.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
Do you have that metric on the take up? If you do not, you could let us know in writing.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Electoral Commission
Meeting date: 9 November 2023
Stephen Kerr
Is that in addition to Short money?
