§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of (a) the number of offences reported and (b) the number of prosecutions for voting more than once in the general elections of 1983, 1979 and 1974 in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Great Britain.
§ Mr. Mellor[pursuant to his reply, 26 November 1984, c. 349]: Further to the information given on 13 December, at column 567, in respect of England and Wales, I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that the following information for Scotland does not distinguish offences of personation from other voting offences nor offences committed at a general election from those committed at by-elections or local elections.
Crimes against the Representation of the People Act 1949 and 1983 recorded by the police and persons subsequently proceeded against for those offences in Scotland Year Offences reported Persons proceeded against 1974 10 1 1979 3 3 1983 1 *8 * Eight persons involved in one offence. I also understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that the available information for Northern Ireland is that in 1983 149 persons were arrested for offences against the Representation of the People Act 1983, of whom 104 were subsequently prosecuted. Corresponding figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.