HC Deb 04 March 1918 vol 103 cc1740-2W
Mr. CLOUGH

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether an Order in Council has been issued with a view to the preparation of a new register of voters; and whether the date has been fixed for the coming into force of this register?

Mr. HAYES FISHER

It is hoped that an Order in Council will be issued at an early date. As stated in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for the West Newington Division on the 27th February, the new register will come into force on the 1st October next.

Mr. CLOUGH

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether a man who is entitled, under Section 1 (1, b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1918, to be registered as a Parliamentary elector in the Skipton Division will be disqualified for any period of time upon removing to another constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire or to a constituency in the East Riding, the North Riding, Westmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire?

Mr. FISHER

A man is entitled to be registered as a Parliamentary elector if he has during the whole of the qualifying period resided in premises in the same constituency, or in another constituency within the same Parliamentary county, or within a Parliamentary county contiguous to that county. The East and North Ridings, Westmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and the parts of Lindsey, are all Parliamentary counties contiguous to the West Riding.

Sir JOHN RANDLES

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will endeavour to obtain from the Admiralty, the Army Council, and the Air Council the necessary information as to the death of all English, Scottish, and Welsh members of the Forces under their respective commands since the coming into operation of the National Registration Act, 1915; and whether, with a view of facilitating the compilation of the new register under the Representation of the People Act, and in order to make as complete and accurate a register as possible, he will arrange to place such information at the disposal of the authorities in charge of the National Register in the respective areas of England, Scotland, and Wales?

Mr. FISHER

Men in the naval and military forces were expressly excluded from the operation of the National Registration Act, 1915, and the forms relating to men registered under the Act who subsequently joined the forces have been removed from the register. It does not, therefore, appear that any useful purpose would be served by collecting and placing at the disposal of the local registration authorities the information referred to in the question.

Mr. WATT

asked the Secretary for Scotland what date has been fixed for the first qualifying period for voters under the Representation of the People Act; whether he can also state on what date the first register of voters under the Act will be in force; and are these to be 15th April and 1st October, respectively, as in England and Wales?

Mr. MUNRO

The dates fixed for Scotland, as well as for England and Wales, are those mentioned by my hon. and learned Friend.