§ *MR. W. J. MAXWELL (Dumfriesshire)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether it is competent for a returning officer, in the case of a parish not divided into wards, to arrange to have two polling places in a parish, and whether the appointment of two polling places in a parish necessitates a rearrangement of the statutory list of voters, and by whom is this to be carried out; and whether, with regard to second and subsequent elections, a County Council is entitled to fix the number of polling places in a parish, and give instructions to the assessors to arrange the list of voters accordingly?
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYANIf the polling places in a parish are increased, the voters whose names appear upon the Register as voting at a single polling station, and generally in alphabetical order, must be distributed for voting purposes according to the new polling place or places. The returning officer has no power over the Register which became final upon the 28th of February. It appears, therefore, to be impossible at this date to add to the existing polling places. It will clearly be possible for a County Council to arrange for an addition to the present polling stations where necessary before the next election, and to instruct the assessor to divide the list accordingly.
§ *CAPTAIN HOPEI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there is anything in the Local Government Act of last year which would prevent the County Council making the same arrangement for Parish Council elections as is customary in parishes for School Board elections, whereby there is frequently more than one polling-place in a parish?
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYANI will see whether that is the case.