Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Reading the bill’s publication files and writing a plain-English Green Book note…
Proposal 3785
A Bill to make provision about absent voting in connection with local government elections in Scotland and Wales, elections to the Scottish Parliament and elections to Senedd Cymru; and for connected purposes.
Appraisal prepared just now from the official papers. Next scheduled update after the next sitting or within about 24 hours.
Sponsor: Tracy Gilbert, Labour
Open publications on bills.parliament.ukPlain-English note and Green Book five-case reading from the official papers — the heart of this page.
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In plain English
To achieve this, this Bill makes provisions in the following areas. First, it will give the Scottish and Welsh Governments concurrent powers to bring forward regulations to enable applications for postal and proxy votes for devolved elections to be made online using the UK Digital Service (“UKDS”).
This is an upfront check at the point the postal or proxy vote application is made and will require the applicant to provide their National Insurance number, or alternative evidence if that check is unsuccessful. It also extends existing powers of the Welsh and Scottish ministers to provide for identify verification of applicants outside of the UKDS where necessary.
This is an upfront check at the point the postal or proxy vote application is made and will require the applicant to provide their National Insurance number, or alternative evidence if that check is unsuccessful.
Same bill, simpler words — a deeper read without the jargon.
Imagine the country is making a new rule. This one is about: To achieve this, this Bill makes provisions in the following areas. First, it will give the Scottish and Welsh Governments concurrent powers to bring forward regulations to enable applications for postal and proxy votes for devolved elections to be made online using the UK Digital Service (“UKDS”).. The people who would notice most are: This is an upfront check at the point the postal or proxy vote application is made and will require the applicant to provide their National Insurance number, or alternative evidence if that check is unsuccessful. It also extends existing powers of the Welsh and Scottish ministers to provide for identify verification of applicants outside of the UKDS where necessary.. If it became a real law, the everyday change would be: This is an upfront check at the point the postal or proxy vote application is made and will require the applicant to provide their National Insurance number, or alternative evidence if that check is unsuccessful..
Green Book 2026 · 5 Case Model
To achieve this, this Bill makes provisions in the following areas. First, it will give the Scottish and Welsh Governments concurrent powers to bring forward regulations to enable applications for postal and proxy votes for devolved elections to be made online using the UK Digital Service (“UKDS”).
It is currently at Royal Assent in the Unassigned, sponsored by Tracy Gilbert, Labour.
Accountability · outcome beside Green Book evidence
Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Act 2025 became law. The official papers we read covered some Green Book cases well and left gaps in others. For accountability, the outcome sits beside a mixed evidence trail — worth reading the case notes below.
Strategic: To achieve this, this Bill makes provisions in the following areas. First, it will give the Scottish and Welsh Governments concurrent powers to bring forward regulations to enable applications for postal and proxy votes for devolved elections to be made online using the UK Digital Service (“UKDS”).
Economic: Gap — The papers we read for this bill do not give a figure in pounds for what it would cost or save. That is not a yes or no on the bill.
Commercial: Gap — The papers we read for this bill do not say how this would be bought, contracted or put in place.
Financial: Gap — The papers we read for this bill do not say who would pay for it, or where the money would come from.
Management: It also extends existing powers of the Welsh and Scottish ministers to provide for identify verification of applicants outside of the UKDS where necessary. New paragraph 5ZB(2)(a) enables provision under sub-paragraph (1) to confer functions on a Minister of the Crown to enable relevant absent voting applications to be submitted through UKDS.
This is an accountability reading, not a recommendation and not a score. It does not say whether Parliament should have passed or rejected the bill. It only sets the actual parliamentary outcome beside how complete the Green Book five-case evidence was in the official papers.
These UK Acts sit in a similar policy space and are already law. Pairing uses this proposal’s official papers (and the plain-English note themes). It is not a verdict that the proposal is redundant or unnecessary.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2022-05-09
Local Government (Disqualification) Act 2022
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2016-01-29
Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2015-03-27
Local Government (Review of Decisions) Act 2015
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2015-03-27
Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Act 2015
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.
UK Act · Royal Assent · 2012-11-08
Local Government Finance Act 2012
Nearby policy wording to this bill. Matched using wording from this bill’s official papersAlready law — context only, not a verdict on whether the new bill is needed.