Mr. SUMMERSasked the Home Secretary if he will intimate to the returning officers at Parliamentary and other elections that it is contrary to the intention of the Ballot Act to permit representatives of the different political parties to inspect ballot papers when they are being checked and before being mixed as provided by the Act; and, since they are thus able to ascertain how many votes for each party have been recorded in each polling district in the constituency, will he give the returning officers instructions to prevent in future this evasion of the Act?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I am not aware of any authority for the issue to returning officers of instructions of the kind referred to.