§ Mr. H. Lawsonasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give the approximate percentage of naval personnel who have now registered as Parliamentary electors.
§ Captain PilkingtonAs my right hon. Friend has explained previously, no record is being kept by the ships and establishments of the Royal Navy of the officers and men who complete the Service voters' declaration form, and I am not, therefore, in a position to state an approximate percentage of naval personnel who have registered. So far as sample ships and establishments are concerned, I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave in the House on 26th July. Arrangements have, however, been made throughout the Navy for a check to be made on 1st October, 1944, to ensure that any officer or man who has not previously completed a Service declaration is given an opportunity to do so. Arrangements have also been made for the Commanders-in-Chief abroad to take samples of representative ships and establishments in their commands and to report to the Admiralty on the percentage of personnel who have registered, so that my right hon. Friend may give the House a general picture of the extent to which officers and men of the Navy have registered.