HC Deb 12 February 1948 vol 447 cc542-3
3. Mr. Keeling

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish a summary of such of the recommendations in the Final Report of the Speaker's 1944 Conference and the Reports of the Committees on Electoral Law Reform and Electoral Registration as have not been adopted in the Representation of the People Bill.

Mr. Ede

I will, with permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Keeling

I am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Osbert Peake

May I ask whether the statement will be available before the Second Reading Debate on the Representation of the People Bill?

Mr. Ede

Yes, Sir. We intend that the statement indicated in the answer I have just given shall appear in the usual way in the OFFICIAL REPORT for today.

Following is the statement:

Except as shown below, the Bill gives substantial effect to all the recommendations in the reports in question, apart from a few which either do not require legislation or will be dealt with by regulations to be made under the Bill.

Recommendation. Remarks.
Final Report of Speaker's Conference.
10. (in part). Where there are more than three candidates, the deposit should be returned if a candidate polls one-tenth of the total votes cast. Not adopted.
11. Relates to forfeiture of deposit in University constituencies. The Bill provides for the abolition of University constituencies.
Final Report of Committee on Electoral Law Reform.
(i) and (xxiii). The law relating to parliamentary and local government elections should be assimilated and re-stated so far as possible in a single modernised code. The Bill assimilates and revises the law on a number of points, but full consolidation is deferred.
(v). The number of assentors should be the same at all elections. Not adopted.
(xvi). Relates to procedure at University elections. The Bill provides for the abolition of University constituencies.
(xxx). If a candidate fails to name an election agent, he should be deemed to be withdrawn. The Bill provides that a candidate who fails to name an election agent shall be deemed to have named himself.
(xxvi) to (xxxviii). Relate to the trial of election petitions. Consideration of this matter has been deferred.
Report of Committee on Electoral Registration.
(xv). If any exception is to be made to the general principle that to qualify for registration a civilian must be resident in the United Kingdom, the exception should now be confined to members of the Control Commissions for Germany and Austria. The Bill does not provide for the registration of any class of civilians not resident in the United Kingdom.
(xxi). Provision should be made for members of the Forces serving overseas to vote by post at a general election if Parliament considers that the extensions of time which would be required both before and after nomination day are not too great. The Bill does not provide for postal voting overseas.