HC Deb 01 December 1927 vol 211 cc676-8
12. Major KINDERSLEY

asked the Home Secretary the total number of persons eligible to vote at the last three General Elections and the number of persons who abstained from voting?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

I can give my hon. and gallant Friend the number of votes polled in contested constituencies and the number of persons on the register in those constituencies. He will realise that the difference between the two does not accurately represent the number who abstained from voting, though it is probably a sufficiently close approximation for any practical purposes. I will publish the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

STATEMENT showing the TOTAL NUMBER of ELECTORS on the Register and Votes Polled in all Contested Constituencies inclusive of Undivided Boroughs or Counties returning two Members.
— Net number of Electors on Register. Total Votes Polled.
November, 1922.
England and Wales 16,751,284 12,623,685
Scotland 2,149,479 1,568,361
Northern Ireland 358,212 207,886
Total 19,258,975 14,399,932
December, 1923.
England and Wales 17,330,439 12,802,453
Scotland 2,145,326 1,501,327
Northern Ireland 408,169 242,258
Total 19,883,934 14,546,038
October, 1924.
England and Wales 17,936,947 14,386,178
Scotland 2,239,612 1,734,727
Northern Ireland 522,320 519,374
Total 20,698,879 16,640,279

13. Major KINDERSLEY

asked the Home Secretary whether he can state, assuming the existing Parliamentary franchise to be extended to women upon the same terms as men, how many of the electors would be males and how many females?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

On the basis of the most recent available figures it has been estimated that the total electorate for Great Britain will approximately comprise 12,250,000 men and 14,500,000 women.

Mr. MONTAGUE

Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that the good old English words "men" and "women" would be preferable in questions of this character?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

The hon. Member will see that in my reply I have used the good old English words.

Sir F. HALL

Assuming that the proposals with regard to women of 21 are carried, we shall have about 2,000,000 more women voting?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

If my hon. and gallant Friend had listened carefully to my answer, he would have found that there would be 2,250,000 more.

Viscountess ASTOR

May I ask the Home Secretary whether he thinks justice has anything to do with sex? Will it make any difference?

Mr. SPEAKER

I do not think that arithmetic has any sex.