Assembly Elections (Hansard, 10 May 1973)

§ 4. Mr. McNamara
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many political parties are at present seeking to obtain seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

§ The Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. David Howell)
This information will not be available until after the close of nominations on or about 5th June.

§ Mr. McNamara
Will the hon. Gentleman explain whether the Secretary of State has finished his discussions and his contemplations and has come to a decision whether or not the banning of Sinn Fein from standing in the elections will be lifted?

§ Mr. Howell
My right hon. Friend has not reached a final decision. He has said that he will listen to all considerations. As for the hon. Member's phrase "the banning of Sinn Fein", of course, there is nothing under electoral law, as has been made clear, to stop Sinn Fein from standing.

§ Rev. Ian Paisley
Will the Minister confirm that under electoral law members of the Provisional IRA can stand, under the same reasoning. Is he aware that the statement from the Church of Ireland Synod in Dublin that people from the Provisional IRA should be able to stand in the elections is resented by people in Northern Ireland?

§ Mr. Howell
Under the electoral law system the practice of standing for elections gives people who are wanted on criminal charges no immunity whatsoever, whatever party they stand for. The 729 position is, as has been said before, that anyone may stand, but men of violence and criminals who are wanted by the police and sought by the courts are given no immunity by reason of standing.

Mr. R. C. Mitchell
When the figures are presented will the Unionists be counted as one party or more than one party?

§ Mr. Howell
That is not a matter for me to decide. The parties will put their candidates forward under their appropriate labels. It is for them to choose.

§ Mr. Merlyn Rees
We agree that men of proven violence should be dealt with by the law. However, there is very strong feeling across the political boundaries that a way must be found for Sinn Fein to stand in the elections, or it will be able to play a major political part in arguing that it was not allowed to stand and that the elections were unfair. We must use 28th June to get a political view in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Howell
The strong feelings on this issue are recognised and my right hon. Friend has said that he will consider all aspects before reaching a decision. But in the present situation the fact must be faced that the Republican clubs are allowed to put forward candidates. Those who hold Republican views can stand and must choose the label of the party for which they wish to stand. It must be realised, as stated in the White Paper, that it cannot be right to accept that people can stand who at one moment decide to play politics and at the next will use means of violence. That kind of candidacy cannot be tolerated. All these factors have to be considered in these circumstances.

§ 5. Mr. Deedes
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are being made to ensure that polling agents at the Northern Ireland local government and Assembly elections are not confused with the polling staff.

§ Mr. Whitelaw
Presiding officers will be instructed that polling agents are to be seated so that they are not confused with polling staff, and do not communicate with voters. Polling staff and counting staff will wear identifying badges.

§ Mr. Deedes
Is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State aware that that arose only as a result of the informal, friendly and—in the view of most of us—quite proper arrangements which occurred during the border poll—arrangements which, however, could be misconstrued in the course of polling on a political election?

§ Mr. Whitelaw
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend. During the passage of the Bill dealing with the elections, considerable anxiety was expressed in the House. I discussed this matter with the chief electoral officer and decided that it must be made clear beyond doubt that it was being conducted properly. I believe that this arrangement will provide for that. I am certain that the parties concerned will recognise the Tightness of this and wish to see it this way.

§ Mr. McNamara
As one of those who expressed concern about this matter, may I say how happy I am about the statement that the right hon. Gentleman has made? May I take it a stage further? Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that in any rooms and schools which are used as polling stations no symbol which may be associated with any political party or philosophy will be on display?

§ Mr. Whitelaw
I must be careful about my powers in relation to these matters, but I shall look into the hon. Gentleman's point and make representations to those concerned.

§ Mr. Biggs-Davison
Reverting to the subject matter of the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes), will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State say whether anything was done to infringe the electoral law in the course of the border poll?

§ Mr. Whitelaw
I have no evidence of that. I do not think so. But doubts were expressed, and the point was made, in this House, that there may or could have been. I have taken the view that all parties in Northern Ireland and everyone taking part in the election would wish to ensure that it was conducted on a fair and proper basis as well as being seen to be so by everyone.

§ 7. Mr. Kilfedder
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will 731 extend the time for polling in the forthcoming election to the Northern Ireland Assembly and ensure that the electors are provided with the same number of polling places which they had in the last parliamentary election in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. van Straubenzee
Following representations, my right hon. Friend has decided, in consultation with the chief electoral officer, that polling hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. I understand that the chief electoral officer intends to provide about 500 polling places.

§ Mr. Kilfedder
I welcome that reply, which goes some way towards meeting the plea that I made during our debate on the Northern Ireland Assembly Bill, but does my hon. Friend agree that it would be much better to allow people to vote during the hours of daylight, which, I believe, at the moment extend to 9.30? Does my hon. Friend realise that people in country areas, in North Down and other parts of the Province, have great difficulty in travelling to polling stations far beyond the area where they have voted in previous elections? Will he try to provide as many polling stations as possible?

§ Mr. van Straubenzee
My hon. Friend overlooks two important considerations. The first is the security of a very large number of polling stations—more, and rightly more, than were used in the border poll. The second consideration is most important, namely, the unrestricted availability of postal voting facilities. This distinguishes the situation considerably from what would be the case on this side of the water.

§ Mr. Leonard
I recognise the serious security considerations involved, but does not the hon. Gentleman agree that, in general, it would be unfortunate if polling hours in Northern Ireland differed from those in Great Britain? I wonder, for example, whether terminating the hours on the half hour rather than on the full hour will be readily understood by voters. Might not that lead to confusion? Will not the hon. Gentleman reconsider this matter?

§ Mr. van Straubenzee
No, Sir. This decision has been taken after careful consultation with the many interests 732 involved. It is unfortunate that there should be different hours in different parts of the United Kingdom. It is also very unfortunate that the general background and conditions against which this election will be held are also different.

§ Rev. Ian Paisley
Will the Minister say when applications for postal votes for the Assembly elections must be in?

§ Mr. van Straubenzee
The closure date for applications for postal voting is on or before 17th May, for local government elections. If granted, those applications are also applicable to the Assembly elections. The date for everyone to bear in mind is 17th May. An extensive campaign is being conducted to make this widely known in Northern Ireland.