§ 17. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Forms A, issued in connection with the autumn electoral register, have been returned to the registration officers; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the registers are made as complete as possible.
§ Mr. EdeThe information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available. I have no doubt that electoral registration officers have taken all practicable steps, as is their duty, to obtain the information necessary to ensure that the register is as complete as possible.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether financial provision is made to assist these officers in carrying out the necessary canvass?
§ Mr. KeelingCan the Home Secretary say whether the canvassers have instructions that at a house which contains a number of tenants they must not deliver all the forms on the ground floor? In one case within my knowledge the ground-floor tenant was a Communist who, having no faith in democracy, withheld forms from the people upstairs.
§ Mr. EdeI think that the canvasser in that case could not have been fully instructed. I live in circumstances somewhat similar to those described by the hon. Member except with regard to the 2322 political affiliations of my neighbours, and in my case the forms were certainly delivered at each separate flat.