The purpose of the inquiry is to investigate the management of elections, with a specific interest in charges of misconduct during elections with a focus on racism and discrimination.
The inquiry to be chaired by the backbench business committee chair Natascha Engel MP and will include the Scottish National Party MP for Banff and Buchan, Dr Eilidh Whiteford, who is the only Scottish MP invited to sit on the inquiry. Commenting on her membership, Dr Whiteford said :
“This is an important opportunity to ensure that racism and discrimination have no place in our electoral system and I hope we can use the inquiry to build a consensus across society on how to achieve that aim."
The inquiry is seeking written submissions from interested parties by 29 March 2013. Oral evidence sessions, located in Parliament, will begin in April 2013 and a report will be published in the summer.