HC Deb 12 November 1918 vol 110 cc2551-3W
Sir J. RANDLES

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of names of persons claiming to be entitled to be placed on the register for the Parliamentary borough and city of Manchester, and whose claims were allowed by the registration officer or by his deputy, are omitted from the Parliamentary and local government registers; whether he is aware that such names include a number of persons who claimed to be registered as naval or military voters and who are either omitted altogether or not marked on the register as such; whether he is aware that the names of some of such persons are included in the register with an a marked against their names, but that such names do not appear on the absent voters' list; whether he will inquire into the causes leading to so many mistakes; and if he will take steps to ensure that all such persons shall be allowed to vote at the forthcoming General Election?

Mr. S. WALSH

I have communicated with the registration officer of the city of Manchester, who states that he is not aware that the facts are as set out in the question. The names of some electors markeda in the register were not included in the absent voters' lists as originally printed, but supplements containing the names have since been printed and sent to the record offices. If my hon. Friend has evidence that the names of persons claiming and entitled to be placed on the registers are not included in the registers I shall be glad if he will supply me with a list of the names, when I will communicate again with the registration officer.

Sir J. RANDLES

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the following is the scale of charges for one copy of the Parliamentary Register for the ten divisions of the Parliamentary borough of Manchester, namely: Ardwick, £3 2s. 4d., absent voters' list 14s. 6d.—£3 16s. 10d.; Blackley £2 1s. 8d., absent voters' list 8s. 4d.—£2 10s.; Clayton £2 18s., absent voters' list 11s. 10d.—£3 9s. 10d.; Exchange £2 17s. 10d., absent voters' list 10s. 8d.—£3 8s. 6d.; Gorton £2 15s. 10d., absent voters' list 9s. 6d.—£3 5s. 4d.; Hulme £3 3s. 10d., absent voters' list 15s. 4d.—£3 19s. 2d.; Moss Side £2 14s. 10d., absent voters' list 12s. 8d.—£3 7s. 6d.; Platting £3 5s. 2d., absent voters' list 16s.—£4 1s. 2d.; Rusholme £2 11s., absent voters' list 10s. 2d.—£3 1s. 2d.; Withington £2 6s. 4d., absent voters' list 9s.—£2 15s. 4d.; making a total of £33 14s. 10d.; and whether, in view of the Report of the Speaker's Conference, which recommended that the expenditure at elections should be materially reduced, a recommendation which was subsequently adopted by Parliament when framing the Fourth Schedule of the Representation of the People Act, 1918, he proposes to take any action in the matter.

Mr. WALSH

I have been in communication with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer who has sanctioned the proposal that an Order in Council should be issued prescribing a fee of 1d. per 100 names for a copy of the register or of so much of the register as relates to any registration unit or units, for the purposes of or in connection with the first General Election under the Representation of the People Act, the question of a revision of the present general scale being left open for consideration hereafter. My right hon. Friend has also agreed to authorise the supply of one free copy of the register to each duly nominated candidate at the next election, or if he has already purchased one the repayment to him of the price of one copy.