§ 13. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that 1736 in Germany during the last General Election distinctive coloured voting papers were issued to each sex, and much useful information was obtained by these experiments; and whether, in view of the changes made in the electorate by the recent Franchise Bill, he will consider the adoption of a similar scheme for this country in the next General Election, in view of the interest and value this knowledge would be to the community, seeing that this can be done without extra expense to the State and without infringing the secrecy of the ballot?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAs to the first part of the question I have no information; as to the latter part, I can only refer to my reply on the 1st May to a similar question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford University (Sir C. Oman).
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this interesting experiment shows not only the number of women who have voted, but their predilections for each candidate; and that it also shows their Conservative tendencies by their not voting for extremists?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have no personal doubt as to the predilections of the women voters, but the Ballot Act exists to prevent them being made public.