§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has taken steps to ascertain the views of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Parties regarding the desirability of issuing official poll cards for the first elections of the new local authorities in 1972; and what their views were on this matter.
§ Mr. CarlisleYes; all thought this desirable, to the extent that it could be done.
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§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that official poll cards could be supplied to electors and their proxies in the event of any parliamentary General Elections which may take place during 1973.
§ Mr. CarlisleYes.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered giving discretion to returning officers to use modified parliamentary poll cards rather than the prescribed local government cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973.
§ Mr. CarlisleThis would not be appropriate. It would deplete stocks of parliamentary poll cards, and might also cause confusion.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimates his Department has made of the time needed to print official poll cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973; and if he will list the estimates submitted to him by returning officers-designate;
(2) what persons, organisations, printing firms or other bodies were consulted by his Department in estimating the time needed to print official poll cards for the first county elections on 12th April 1973;
(3) if he will list the practical difficulties and problems involved in the issue of official poll cards for the first county and district council elections to be held in 1973;
(4) if he will name the returning officers-designate and their authorities who have told him they consider the issue of official poll cards impractical for the first county elections on 12th April 1973; and what reasons were given by each returning officer designate concerned.
§ Mr. CarlisleIt was not possible to make a general estimate of the time needed to print poll cards since the considerations vary with different areas. Among other, and often more critical factors, any one of which might make the issue of poll cards at the first elections impracticable, are delay in settling district names, delay in announcing district warding arrangements, difficulty in having cards written up for both county and district elections, and difficulty in492W obtaining the special paper required for computer-printed cards. It was not possible to ask every returning officer whether he would be able to issue poll cards for the first elections. This is why the rules authorise their issue if the returning officer informs the council by which he was appointed that he will be able to do so.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the local authorities which have asked his advice on whether poll cards should be issued for only part of a county; what was his advice; and what are the reasons for this advice.
§ Mr. CarlisleNo record was kept of the local authority officers who telephoned with inquiries on this point. They were advised that at the first elections of councillors for a county the procedure should be uniform, and that the new local elections rules provided accordingly.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has decided on the prescribed form for official poll cards at local elections; on what date this decision was made; and if he will place a facsimile of this card in the Library together with a parliamentary poll card.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe form of official poll card to be prescribed is in the appendix to the Home Office letter of 24th November 1972 to local authorities. A copy of this, and a specimen of the parliamentary poll card, are in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from individual councillors and members of the general public asking that official poll cards should not be issued for the first county elections on 12th April 1973.
§ Mr. CarlisleNone.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will advise returning officers designate that a great deal of work involved in preparing official poll cards for the first county and district elections from 12th April 1973 onwards can be undertaken at once, using the old electoral registers 493W and the proposed additions and deletions issued this month.
§ Mr. CarlisleSuch advice would be superfluous.