§ 34. Mr. Raymond Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any reports from his Departmental Working Party on the feasibility of using voting machines in both local and general elections; if he intends to publish such reports and in what form; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SharplesAn interim report on aspects of mechanical and electronic aids to voting and vote-counting was submitted some time ago, and is being put in the Library. Voting machines would be extremely expensive, and my right hon. Friend does not believe that they would offer enough advantages to outweigh the radical change in our traditional voting methods which they would require. He has therefore decided against any further study of their use. He is, however, arranging for further investigation of optical mark reading equipment for reading and counting ballot papers, and he will inform the House of the outcome in due course.
§ Mr. FletcherDid the working party consider the possibility that the cost of such machines might have been partly met by their being hired out to organisations, such as the trade unions and commercial organisations, which regularly conduct polls? In view of the forthcoming Industrial Relations Bill, would he not consider such machines to be a most effective way of conducting the strike ballot which will become compulsory when, unhappily, the Bill becomes an Act?
§ Mr. SharplesThis whole question was considered in great detail, and I am sure that the decision reached by my right hon. Friend about these machines is right.