§ 34. Mr. Keelingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a servant of the Crown abroad may, in his Service declaration, give the address of an hotel or boarding house in the United Kingdom as the address at which he would be residing but for such service.
§ Mr. EdeA person commits an offence under Section 6 (10) of the Representation of the People Act, 1948, if he makes a service declaration when he knows that it contains a statement which is false. Subject to that, a person may give any address in the United Kingdom. The validity of a declaration is not a matter for me to determine, but for the electoral registration officer, or the courts on appeal against his decision. I am, however, not aware of any ground on which a registration officer would be entitled, having regard to Section 6 (5, a) of the Act, to reject a declaration because the address given was that of an hotel, or boarding house.
§ Mr. KeelingMay we take it that what the Secretary of State says applies also to the wife of a civil servant abroad, who is likewise entitled to a vote?
§ Mr. EdeOh, yes. This is a matter for the registration officer to bear in mind. There is an appeal from him to the courts if the applicant is dissatisfied with his decision.
§ 35. Mr. Heathcoat Amoryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make provision to enable electors residing at a distance of more than two miles from the nearest polling station to apply to be put on the postal voters list.
Mr. AmoryIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are voters in my constituency for whom, I understand, the nearest polling station will be three and a half miles away and, in order to ensure that right shall triumph, that seems rather a long way to expect them to go?
§ Mr. EdeThe recent Act very considerably improved opportunities for voters to get to polling places near their residences, if they so desired and made application. I have considered a number of applications and granted them where the facilities appeared to me not to be reasonable.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftHow can the right hon. Gentleman say that he has considerably improved the position when my constituents have to walk more than three miles owing to the limited use of motor cars which is allowed?
§ Mr. EdeIt is the case that 30 electors can present a petition to me asking that an additional polling place shall be provided. I have received a number of such applications and, on the whole, I have granted them.