HC Deb 15 June 1948 vol 452 cc334-7
Mr. Ede

I beg to move, in page 6, line 20, to leave out from "who," to "shall," in line 21, and to insert "has a service qualification."

This Amendment and a number of others that follow deal with the question that has been raised several times in the House by the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Keeling). We had a discussion on it during the Committee stage, and when we had seen all that would be involved in accepting the principle, I was able to say that between then and the Report stage I would, in consultation with the hon. Gentleman, see if it were possible to do something to meet the situation which he had been bringing before the House for a considerable length of time.

Mr. Speaker

It might be convenient if we took in a general discussion with this Amendment, the consequential Amendments. I suggest that course, if the House agrees.

Mr. Ede

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This group of Amendments is intended to replace Clause 70, extending the franchise to Crown servants abroad and their wives, and to give full effect to its intention. They will also extend the franchise to the wives of Service voters who reside outside, the United Kingdom to be with their husbands. That last is a point which, I know, has been troubling Servicemen and their wives, and I am very glad to be able to meet them.

The Amendment which immediately follows this one in Clause 6, page 7, line r, provides that the classes of Crown servants who are to be given the Service qualification are to be prescribed by regulation. My intention is to include all the classes covered by the words "service in respect of which payment is made out of moneys provided by Parliament," now found in Clause 70. It seems best to prescribe them by regulation, so as to make sure that all the appropriate classes are covered, and are clearly set out without ambiguity, and so also as to provide a measure of flexibility for the future. It may be necessary at some time in the future to delete some of the descriptions or to add others. I hope that the hon. Member for Twickenham will feel that the Amendments that we have managed to put on the Paper carry out in the spirit as well as in the letter the undertaking that I gave. I am pleased to be able to ensure that the group of people concerned, those who are temporarily abroad on their country's service, should be able to retain active citizenship of this country.

Mr. Keeling

I agree with the Home Secretary that the Amendments give effect to what we desire. I feel bound to point out, however, that during the long period he mentioned, during which this extension of the franchise has been pressed upon his attention, it was not only received unsympathetically by him but was very strongly opposed by the Labour Members of the Committee on Electoral Registration which he appointed. The Amendments will not only restore to the staffs of the Control Commission in Germany and Austria the vote which they had at the last General Election—the Bill proposed to take it away from them—but it will give a vote for the first time to other civil servants abroad and to their wives. It also gives a vote, as the Home Secretary has said, and again for the first time, to the wives of members of the Fighting Forces abroad.

There was no reason for refusing a vote to any of these people once it was given to the Fighting Forces. But the thousands of British men and women who will be enfranchised by these Amendments will owe their enfranchisement to the insistent pressure of the Tory Party who, in this as in so many other matters, have proved themselves much more democratic than the Labour Party.

Mr. Donovan (Leicester, East)

I did not intend to intervene in this Debate, but as the other Labour Member of the Electoral Committee is not here, I wish to dissent from what has been said by the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Keeling) that Labour Members of that committee strongly opposed this proposal. I did not. What happened was that the hon. Member for Twickenham put forward this proposal on the basis that because the people concerned paid Income Tax they should get the vote. He wanted the test of the suffrage to be the liability to pay Income Tax. He will remember that I pointed out to him in rather a long letter that that principle would be unworkable and—

Mr. Keeling

Has the hon. and learned Member read the minority report of the committee? He will find that that report was not based in the very least upon Income Tax. The words "Income Tax" were never mentioned at all.

Mr. Donovan

Because the hon. Member for Twickenham withdrew his first draft Minority Report after receiving my letter.

Mr. Keeling

Did the hon. and learned Member oppose the Tory Members' recommendation that these civil servants should have the vote, or did he support it? I leave the House to judge the answer from the committee's report.

Mr. McKinlay (Dumbartonshire)

From what the Home Secretary said, I understood that he proposes to deal with this matter by regulation, and that therefore the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Keeling) is dealing with something which does not arise. Can we have an assurance from the Home Secretary that servant girls and male servants who are serving with civil servants abroad, and who are natives of this country, will have their votes safeguarded in the same way as their masters and mistresses? If civil servants take servants abroad with them from this country it is only right that the voting rights of those servants should be safeguarded. I should like that information from the Home Secretary. We know the pressure that is brought to bear by masters and mistresses at election times. The servants know full well that they are threatened with the loss of their employment if the wicked Socialists get in, but many of them are willing to take the risk. I want an assurance from the Home Secretary that, in framing the regulations—no doubt the right hon. Gentleman is having a very interesting conversation on the Front Bench but I am asking him a question—he will safeguard the voting rights of the people I have mentioned equally with the voting rights of their masters and mistresses.

Mr. Deputy-Speaker

Amendment pro posed, in page—

Mr. McKinlay

On a point of Order. Am I not entitled to have at least an acknowledgment from the Home Secretary that a request has been made from this side of the House for his consideration?

Mr. Ede

I can only speak again by leave of the House. I do not think it will be possible for me to include in the regulations the class of person to whom my hon. Friend has alluded. I will, however, consider whether it is possible to do so. If not, the point should be considered during the passage of the Bill elsewhere.

Amendment agreed to.