§ 40. Mr. Hugh Lawsonasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if duplicate copies of completed electoral registration forms from naval personnel are kept at stations overseas until the originals have been received by the electoral registration officers in this country so as to prevent persons being disenfranchised due to the loss of mails.
Mr. AlexanderI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on this matter by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War yesterday. The difficulties which he mentioned apply equally to the Navy.
§ Mr. LawsonMay I ask two questions? The first is whether the First Lord is not aware that a certain number of these registration forms are bound to be lost. Secondly, what steps does he propose to take to see that persons, whose registration forms are lost, are given an opportunity of filling in new ones?
Mr. AlexanderIt is the practice to notify the sending authorities of the non-receipt of mails lost at sea as soon as they are known. This will afford an opportunity for duplicate forms to be sent if there is reason to believe that the originals have been lost.