§ 22. Brigadier Medlicottasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been drawn to the slowness of the counting of the votes in many constituencies in the recent General Election; and if he will introduce legislation to ensure that in future elections a more expeditious system is generally adopted.
§ Mr. EdeI am not aware that there was any general ground for complaint, but if the hon. and gallant Member has any specific suggestions to make I shall be glad to consider them.
§ Brigadier MedlicottHaving regard to the fact that some of the counts took as long as eight hours, that many names were missing from the register, that in one division there was a shortage of voting papers and that in another the arithmetic was faulty, is it not clear that the election was not conducted with 100 per cent. efficiency? Will the right hon. Gentleman try to smarten things up next time?
§ Mr. EdeThe election was a very human affair. I may say that I was myself rather disturbed at the length of time it took on Friday afternoon to get out what were then regarded as the last results, but the difficulty is that the buildings available in which to conduct the count vary so much in size and suitability that one can understand that there are difficulties on occasions in conducting the count with the expedition which everybody would desire. I am having a conference with an advisory committee which helps me in this matter—a committee which, in addition to the agents of the principal parties, consists of returning officers of some experience and recognised standing, and I am proposing to discuss some of these matters with them when they meet me next week.
§ Mrs. Jean MannWill my right hon. Friend take into consideration the fact that in the Coatbridge and Airdrie division the count started at a quarter-past nine and went on for more than eleven hours on a total vote of 41,000? As the same building and the same conditions have always obtained, why the disparity in the number of hours?
§ Mr. EdeThat is a question which should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ Mr. Osbert PeakeIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that most of us are extremely well satisfied with the way in which the count was conducted?
§ Mr. KeelingHas the Home Secretary any information that some of the constituencies which announced their results early achieved that by counting the contents of the ballot boxes and sorting them between the candidates concurrently instead of consecutively?