HC Deb 28 July 1961 vol 645 cc881-2

Lords Amendment: In page 48, line 6 at end insert— (3) Where on any poll a greater number of persons claim to attend the counting as observers than is allowed under sub-paragraph (2) above, the county returning officer or mayor in choosing between them shall have regard to their opinions about Sunday opening (if known to him) with the aim of designating, as far as he can, those for and those against Sunday opening in equal numbers.

Mr. Vosper

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

This Amendment meets a point raised by the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. G. Roberts) relating to the selection of observers at the count resulting from a poll for Sunday opening in Wales. The hon. Member made the point that the returning officer should have regard to the viewpoint expressed by those who had been appointed as observers. That is what the Amendment does. It does not go quite as far as the hon. Mem- ber would wish, but it gives the returning officer power to select from those who request to be present at the poll the required number according, as far as he can gather, to the views they hold.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendment agreed to.