§ 21. Mr. MacCollasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the blemishes in Table V in the Registrar General's Statistical Review, Part II, Civil, 1952, caused by the failure of local authorities to make returns of the number of votes cast in local elections; and what steps he is taking to secure a greater amount of cooperation from these authorities during the next local elections.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThese returns are made at my request, but I have no power to require local authorities to make them, and I am glad to take this opportunity to express my thanks for the ready co-operation of most local authorities in making them voluntarily. Thirty-two local authorities did not make returns in 1952, but I am happy to say that the tables for 1953 and 1954 will show a substantial improvement in this respect, and I have every hope that this improvement will be maintained in 1955.
§ Mr. MacCollIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the later ones did not include county council returns because there has not been a county 1099 council election since 1952; and that 10 of the failures have been, not by small authorities, but by county councils? Does he not think that this indicates a remoteness and lack of co-operation on the part of the county councils, and that people will bear that in mind when they come to consider the reform of local government?
§ Major Lloyd-George indicated assent.