NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

That this House welcomes the Bite the Ballot campaign National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), supported by Asda Stores, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Centrepoint Parliament, Citizenship Foundation, London Youth, the National Union of Students, Rock the Vote, SB.TV, Teach First, The Student Room, vInspired and others that aims to encourage 250,000 new electors to join the electoral register on 5 February 2014; acknowledges and welcomes the Government's commitment to get more people - especially younger people - and under-represented groups to join the electoral register in advance of the transition to individual electoral registration; notes that nearly half of 18 to 24 year olds are not on the register and that in some regions only a third of 16 to 17 year olds are registered; believes that to deliver its commitment the Government must now encourage support and promote NVRD - an annual day of action that involves youth clubs, community groups, educational establishments, businesses and individual campaigners across the UK registering people to vote; recognises that this initiative is supported by the APPG on Voter Registration with unanimous cross-party support from members of both Houses, the Electoral Commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators; further believes that NVRD will illustrate what can be achieved when the social enterprise, voluntary, charity and business sectors work in partnership to inspire young people to take part in the democratic process; and urges the Government to recognise the importance of NVRD in creating an engaged and inspired electorate in advance of forthcoming elections and referenda.