§ 3. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he will appoint an electoral boundary commission for Bermuda; and what will be its composition.
§ Mr. Frederick LeeThe boundary commission will be appointed by the Governor. As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Surbiton (Mr. Fisher) on 22nd November, its chairman will be appointed from outside Bermuda and one of its members will be a person who holds or has held high judicial office within the Commonwealth. These two will be appointed by the Governor in his discretion. Two members will be appointed on the advice of the leader of the majority party and one on the advice of the leader of the Opposition.
§ Mr. JohnsonI welcome that answer, but is it not a fact that eight working-class constituencies with about 24,000 coloured voters will have 16 Members whereas 12 white constituencies with something under 20,000 voters will have 24 Members? Is it 'impossible to have 40 single-Member constituencies on a more equitable basis?
§ Mr. LeeThe arrangements we arrived at at the conference have brought about a situation in which there will be far and away greater equality in voting than there has even been before, and, I would venture to say, far greater equality than there is in Britain at the moment.