news story

2nd September 2008

Act This Week to Avoid Junk Mail

Northavon MP Steve Webb is urging local residents to take advantage of an opportunity to reduce the amount of junk mail that they receive.

Every autumn local authorities compile a new electoral register for the coming year and send a form to every household, with forms in South Gloucestershire arriving on doormats this week. On the form there is a column that residents can tick if they do not want their details to be 'available for sale'. Unless residents tick this box, their names and addresses can be sold on to mail order companies who then bombard residents with junk mail.

In South Gloucestershire, out of just under 200,000 electors on the current electoral register, a little under half have opted out, meaning that over 100,000 can still have their details sold unless they take action.

Steve Webb said:

"I think it is totally unacceptable that the law allows people's personal details from the electoral register to be sold. Not only is this an invasion of their privacy but it also results in a lot more junk mail which is irritating for householders and wastes huge amounts of paper.

"When filling in their electoral registration form this year I would encourage all local residents to consider whether they want to make sure that their details are not passed on to private companies".

A recent poll by the local government association of more than 200 officials who administer electoral registers for councils across England found that 98% supported an end to the practice of selling electoral registers, and the Information Commissioner has called for an outright ban, but the Government has yet to take action.