§ 19. Sir I. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to restore an electoral register to come into operation in October this year, in view of the uncertainty of the political situation.
§ Sir I. FraserWas not the decision to abolish the autumn register based upon the assumption or perhaps the hope that this Parliament might last for five years? In the changed circumstances, ought we not to have the prospect of voting on a live register when the time comes?
§ Mr. EdeThe hon. Gentleman may get an opportunity of voting on a live register when the time comes, whenever that is, but this action was taken as one of our economy measures, and the case for it rests mainly on the fact that in future all local government elections will take place early in the year. Therefore, the register coming into effect on 16th March is the appropriate one.
§ Sir Wavell WakefieldIs the Home Secretary aware that the register on which the General Election was fought was most unsatisfactory in the London area? Will he reconsider this question, because the large movement of population in the London area must make a register unsatisfactory unless it is brought up to date every six months?
§ Mr. EdeI have heard of a considerable number of complaints from people not returned that the register was unsatisfactory, but I think that the register coming into force on 16th March will be technically better than the one on which the election was fought.
§ Sir H. WilliamsIf the ballerinas are not back in time from Covent Garden, on what register will the next General Election take place?
§ Mr. ChetwyndWould my right hon. Friend kindly give the answer which he began to give us when he first answered the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I Fraser)?