§ Queen's Recommendation having been signified—
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Representation of the People Bill, it is expedient to authorise—
§ Mr. Harry Barnes (Derbyshire, North-East)No price is too high for the extension of democracy. However, the Bill will mean the destruction of democracy. The poll tax has destroyed the British electorate and the Government are now prepared to spend money on replacing that electorate with expatriates who have few links with Britain. They should not spend money on the destruction of democracy. If the Government are intent on destroying democracy, they should do it on the cheap. They are not doing that in the Bill.
What is spent on electoral registration and its subsequent provisions in Britain? The explanatory and financial memorandum gives a cost of £1.72 per person for initial registration and 62p per person thereafter. What do such figures cover? Do they cover the issuing of registration forms that people are asked to complete? Will they be even simpler than my poll tax registration form, which has not yet been filled in and will not be filled in? Is there any money for advertising to encourage people to register?
The Government are very lax about encouraging people to register for electoral purposes. Last year they spent about £320,000—a little more than previously—from a total advertising budget of £100 million. It appears that the franchise is worth only 0.31 per cent. of the Government's advertising expenditure while other rubbish such as the poll tax leaflet, which costs a fortune, is dished out and used to destroy the democratic process rather than extend it.
Earlier, the Minister stated that as many as 2 million British citizens overseas could qualify for electoral registration under the provisions of the Representation of the People Bill, which has been given its Second Reading. To provide that facility will cost £3.5 million, which contrasts starkly with the £320,000 that the Government spend on stimulating the electorate in this country.
Is there any alternative to spending that £3.5 million on initial registration, and the additional £1 million required to maintain the electoral rolls of people who have little connection with this country? In many cases they have deserted this country for more than 25 years; others were taken out of this country as babes in arms but after 18 years they will qualify to vote in Britain. They will survive for at least seven years on the electoral register, probably voting in respect of constituencies that did not even exist when they were born and about which they know nothing.
1201 No money should be spent by the Government in connection with the Representation of the People Bill. If they want to implement its provisions, they should do so off their own bat and not expect the public to pay for the destruction of democracy, of public services, and of the freedoms for which working-class people have struggled for so long.
§ Question put:—
§ The House divided: Ayes 98, Noes 5.Stevens, Lewis
1202| Division No. 270] | [10.17 pm |
| AYES | |
| Alexander, Richard | Hogg, Hon Douglas (Gr'th'm) |
| Amess, David | Howarth, Alan (Strat'd-on-A) |
| Amos, Alan | Howarth, G. (Cannock & B'wd) |
| Arbuthnot, James | Hunt, David (Wirral W) |
| Arnold, Jacques (Gravesham) | Hunt, Sir John (Ravensbourne) |
| Arnold, Tom (Hazel Grove) | Irvine, Michael |
| Ashby, David | Janman, Tim |
| Atkinson, David | Johnson Smith, Sir Geoffrey |
| Baker, Nicholas (Dorset N) | Jones, Robert B (Herts W) |
| Bennett, Nicholas (Pembroke) | King, Roger (B'ham N'thfield) |
| Bevan, David Gilroy | Lawrence, Ivan |
| Boscawen, Hon Robert | Lee, John (Pendle) |
| Boswell, Tim | Lightbown, David |
| Bowis, John | Lilley, Peter |
| Braine, Rt Hon Sir Bernard | Lloyd, Peter (Fareham) |
| Bright, Graham | Lord, Michael |
| Buck, Sir Antony | Lyell, Sir Nicholas |
| Butler, Chris | Macfarlane, Sir Neil |
| Carlisle, John, (Luton N) | MacKay, Andrew (E Berkshire) |
| Carrington, Matthew | Maclean, David |
| Carttiss, Michael | McLoughlin, Patrick |
| Chapman, Sydney | McNair-Wilson, Sir Michael |
| Chope, Christopher | McNair-Wilson, Sir Patrick |
| Coombs, Anthony (Wyre F'rest) | Mans, Keith |
| Davis, David (Boothferry) | Martin, David (Portsmouth S) |
| Devlin, Tim | Maude, Hon Francis |
| Dover, Den | Mitchell, Sir David |
| Emery, Sir Peter | Moate, Roger |
| Fallon, Michael | Moss, Malcolm |
| Fishburn, John Dudley | Moynihan, Hon Colin |
| Forth, Eric | Neubert, Michael |
| Franks, Cecil | Nicholson, David (Taunton) |
| Freeman, Roger | Norris, Steve |
| Garel-Jones, Tristan | Onslow, Rt Hon Cranley |
| Gill, Christopher | Porter, David (Waveney) |
| Gow, Ian | Raffan, Keith |
| Greenway, John (Ryedale) | Rhodes James, Robert |
| Griffiths, Peter (Portsmouth N) | Roe, Mrs Marion |
| Ground, Patrick | Sackville, Hon Tom |
| Hague, William | Shaw, David (Dover) |
| Hampson, Dr Keith | Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb') |
| Hargreaves, Ken (Hyndburn) | Shepherd, Colin (Hereford) |
| Harris, David | Shersby, Michael |
| Hawkins, Christopher | Sims, Roger |
| Stevens, Lewis | Wardle, Charles (Bexhill) |
| Stradling Thomas, Sir John | Widdecombe, Ann |
| Summerson, Hugo | Wood, Timothy |
| Taylor, John M (Solihull) | |
| Thorne, Neil | Tellers for the Ayes: |
| Thurnham, Peter | Mr. Kenneth Carlisle and |
| Waddington, Rt Hon David | Mr. Stephen Dorrell. |
| NOES | |
| Cohen, Harry | |
| Nellist, Dave | Tellers for the Noes: |
| Pike, Peter L. | Mr. Harry Barnes and |
| Skinner, Dennis | Mr. Tony Banks. |
| Spearing, Nigel |
§ Question accordingly agreed to.
§
Resolved,
That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Representation of the People Bill, it is expedient to authorize—