HC Deb 15 June 1948 vol 452 cc339-41

8.0 p.m.

Mr. Heathcoat Amory (Tiverton)

I beg to move, in page 8, line 36, to leave out: in the absence of special circumstances. I think I can deal with this Amendment very quickly because we have already had some discussion on the subject.

Mr. Deputy-Speaker (Mr. Hubert Beaumont)

I think it would be useful if at the same time we dealt with the next two Amendments: In line 38, at end, insert: unless it appears to the local authority that the combination of two or more parishes or parts of parishes in one electoral division will not materially affect the convenience of the electors or any body of them. And in line 38, at end, insert: unless it appears to the local authority or the returning officer, as the case may be, that such an arrangement is unnecessary in order to meet the reasonable requirements of the electors or any body of them.

Mr. Amory

I am obliged. I was about to make the same suggestion, as all three Amendments deal with the same proposal. We do not think the words "in the absence of special circumstances" are very satisfactory. They do not seem to us to be very clear in indicating the kind of circumstances which would make necessary an exception from the provisions of this part of the Clause. The primary consideration must be the convenience of the electors, and the more polling stations there can be the better. However, we must also take into consideration what is practically possible, and I think it will be agreed that some exceptions from the provisions that there should be a polling station in every parish will be necessary.

If there were no exceptions, in the case of a very rural county there would be an enormous increase in the number of polling stations. For instance, I believe that in Warwickshire it would mean an increase of in polling stations, and I believe in the case of the North Riding of Yorkshire 372 additional polling stations. There are in Warwickshire 28 parishes with under 50 electors and six parishes with under 10 electors, and in the North Riding there are 115 parishes with under 50 and eight parishes with under 10 electors.

Of course, there will arise the problem whether it will be possible to provide sufficient presiding officers, polling clerks, all the other people who are necessary, and buildings; but, in any case, I think the Home Secretary will agree that there will be cases where it will be more convenient not to have a polling station in a particular parish, and that it will be more convenient to the electors there to register their votes in a neighbouring parish. We want to provide as much flexibility as possible here, so that it shall be possible for the best and most convenient arrangement to be made in the interests of the electors. We suggest that if this Amendment were adopted, and if one of the next two Amendments, which are really alternatives, were also adopted, the result would be more satisfactory than it would be with the inclusion of the words which we seek to omit.

Mr. Grimston

I beg to second the Amendment.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Younger)

I do not think there is very much between us on this point. I recognise that the words "special circumstances," which crop up in a good many Sections of different Statutes and so cause argument, are rather vague. On the other hand, I feel that the alternatives suggested tend to give rather more latitude to county councils not to have a separate polling district in each rural parish than the words "in the absence of special circumstances" would give them.

I am not sure that I entirely agree with the hon. Member for Tiverton (Mr. Amory) when he said that we should have as much flexibility as possible. I think it has been the experience that some county councils, which already have a duty to give to all electors in their constituencies such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances, have hitherto taken a rather narrow view of that, and it was agreed at the Speaker's Conference that adequate facilities had not been provided in very many areas. We therefore attach a good deal of importance to this Clause, and we want to ensure that the onus is very much upon the county council to be satisfied that there are special circumstances which would justify the failure to comply with what we intend to be the general rule.

It is really very little more than a matter of emphasis, but I submit that either of the two alternatives in the second and third of the Amendments which we are discussing rather tend to put the onus the other way. They suggest that unless there is some special reason for having a separate polling district in each parish it will be quite in order to leave things as they are. It is only a question of emphasis, but I prefer the words which are in the Bill.

Amendment negatived.