§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) of 14 May,Official Report, columns 71–72, if he will set out the minimum notice which the proposed advertising campaign for information regarding absent voting will give to electors; and if he will make a statement on discussions he has held with electoral registration officers on this matter.
§ Mrs. RumboldIn the unlikely event that Parliament was dissolved on the same day as that on which a general election was announced, the proposed advertisements would appear in newspapers on a Wednesday, and applications for an absent vote would have to be returned by the following Monday. On past experience, however, electors will probably have about 12 days' notice in which to apply for an absent vote.
The proposed campaign will be similar to one which ran before the 1987 general election and will take account of comments received from electoral registration officers following that campaign.
§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out in summary the information he has on procedures for absent voting at general elections in member states of the European Community outlining criteria used for registration of absent voting for various grounds such as(a) ill health, (b) employment, (c) absence from home and (d) overseas residence.
§ Mrs. RumboldI shall write to the hon. Member.