§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the process by which members of each branch of the armed services may register as electors.
§ Mr. FreemanService personnel are encouraged to register as voters and may then vote in local, parliamentary and European elections. They register by service declaration form F/Vote/33 available in all ships, units or stations. Service declarations do not have to be completed annually. They are valid for the whole of the individual's service but may, of course, be amended.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to encourage service personnel in each branch of the armed forces to register as electors.
§ Mr. FreemanIt is our aim to achieve the highest possible level of service registration and we use a variety of means to encourage service men to register, including annual Defence Council instructions to commanding officers, compulsory displays of noticeboard information material, articles and advertisements in service magazines and newspapers, and radio broadcasts on British forces broadcasting services. All recruit training includes a period on voting rights and registration procedures. Families posted overseas are issued with further advice. Registration performance is monitored by each of the three services.