§ Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Minister of Health, whether he will issue special instructions to the registration officers in charge of the compilation of the registers of parliamentary and local government elections to carry out an efficient house-to-house canvas on the lines adopted for the census of population, and thereby rectify the numerous omissions of names of electors from the current registers in many constituencies, as revealed in many contested elections at the recent election?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have been asked to reply to this question. It is already the duty of a registration officer "to cause a house-to-house or other sufficient inquiry to be made"; and I have no reason to doubt that the arrangements 1227W made by registration officers for the discharge of this duty are adequate. But I would remind the hon. Member that electors are not wholly dependent upon this procedure, and that the electors' lists thus compiled are required to be published expressly in order that persons who find themselves inadvertently omitted may have an opportunity of claiming to be included before the register is finally completed.