HC Deb 08 April 1971 vol 815 cc673-5
33. Mr. George Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of the 15 Members of Parliament about whose correspondence Home Office officials gave advice to electoral registration officers.

Mr. Sharples

No, Sir.

Mr. Cunningham

Is the Minister aware that, at the expense of considerable time and effort, I have extracted information that the Home Office is in the habit of providing advice to electoral registration officers on correspondence between them and Members of Parliament? At the least, it should be the habit of the Home Office to tell hon. Members when representatives of the Executive have given such advice. Is the Minister further aware that I was informed by the electoral registration officer that my letter to him was being referred to the Home Office for advice? It is, therefore, highly undesirable that I should then be refused any indication of the nature of the advice provided by the Home Office.

Mr. Sharples

This practice has gone on for many years. It is open to an electoral registration officer to seek advice from the Home Office on technical matters and on the interpretation of the law. The responsibility in replying to the hon. Gentleman must be on the electoral registration officer.

Mr. Cunningham

I am not suggesting anything different, and the Minister knows it.

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

Will the Minister say on what subjects advice is tendered by the Home Office?

Mr. Sharples

The subjects on which electoral registration officers seek advice from the Home Office relate to publicity arrangements, corrections of the register, printing of the register and technical matters of that kind. It would be quite wrong if electoral registration officers did not have a Government Department to which they can turn for advice on technical matters of this kind.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

If, for example, an electoral registration officer, who, I take it, is a law unto himself, is seeking advice on how he should collect the names for the register, what sort of advice is given? Is he asking for technical advice, and what is his relationship with the Home Office?

Mr. Sharples

He is an independent officer, responsible for his own decisions, but sometimes he can ask the Home Office for technical advice on matters of this kind. The decisions that he takes are his own.

Mr. Cunningham

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that the general guidance provided for electoral registration officers is available in the Library of the House of Commons, and, therefore, this entirely unofficial but helpful advice—not mandatory advice—provided by the Home Office to registration officers is generally available? Is the Minister denying that he has said that when this advice is provided in a particular case in relation to correspondence with one hon. Member it becomes confidential? Is the Minister further aware that not one of his answers on this subject have related to the Question that I put? Will he try to deal with the question I asked; namely, why should it be necessary for this advice to remain secret from the hon. Members directly involved?

Mr. Sharples

Because the decisions which the electoral registration officer takes are his own decisions. In his Question the hon. Gentleman asked whether I would list the names of hon. Members of this House about whose constituencies advice had been given. It would be entirely improper to disclose confidential information of that kind.

Mr. Cunningham

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I beg to give notice that in view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.