§ 40. Mr. LAWSON (forMr. THORNE)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the Parliamentary Division of Streatham, in the Borough of Wandsworth, with a. population of 68,467, is only one ward for municipal elections; that in the event of a by-election to fill one vacancy on the borough council the whole parliamentary election machinery has to be put into operation; and whether, in view of the cost incurred, he will take steps to divide the ward into four and increase the number of councillors?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Gilmour)An increase in the number of wards may lessen the cost of elections to fill casual vacancies, but it increases the cost of the triennial general elections, and in any case there are other considerations to be taken into account in deciding into how many wards a borough should be divided. I have no information that there is any desire in the Borough of Wandsworth for an alteration of the wards.