§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to ensure that persons requiring a postal vote at elections are properly informed about the availability of postal votes and proxy voting and have time to complete the relevant forms. [5049]
§ Mr. George HowarthAbsent voting facilities were publicised at the general election through a television campaign and advertisements in the national press. We are currently reviewing the effectiveness of this publicity. The closing dates for absent vote applications were recently relaxed as set out in the Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 1997.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons forms for infirm elderly and disabled persons requiring a postal or proxy vote were not available at some electoral registration offices prior to the 1997 general election. [5050]
§ Mr. HowarthI understand that in the Wakefield area, just before the general election, application forms for an absent vote for an indefinite period were not available. Electors affected by this were provided with alternative application forms so that they could obtain an absent vote for the elections on 1 May. They were subsequently supplied with application forms to give them absent votes for an indefinite period.
Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 by type of offence and police force area 1992–95 Sections 1 to 5 and 101 1992 1993 1994 1995 Police force area Pros Con Pros Con Pros Con Pros Con Avon und Somerset — — — — — — 2 2 Cheshire 2 2 — — 4 4 — — Cleveland 4 2 2 2 — — — — Cumbria 1 — — — 5 3 1 — Derbyshire 3 3 4 — 1 — 1 1 Devon and Cornwall 8 — 1 — — — — — Dorset — — 1 1 — — — — Essex — — 4 — — — 2 1 Gloucestershire — — — — 1 — — — Greater Manchester — — — — — — — — Hampshire 3 — 2 2 1 — 6 — Hertfordshire 1 1 1 1 4 4 — — Humberside 4 4 3 3 — — 3 2 Kent — — — — — — 1 — Lancashire — — — — — 1 1 1 Leicestershire 1 1 — — — — — — Lincolnshire — — 4 4 — — — — Merseyside — — 1 1 — — — — Metropolitan Police — — — — — — — — Norfolk — — — — — — — — North Yorkshire — — 7 2 — — 1 1 Northumbria 2 2 — — — — 3 3 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — 2 2 South Yorkshire 2 — 3 2 — — — — Staffordshire — — 1 — 2 — 8 6 Suffolk — — 1 — — — — — Surrey — — — — — — — — Sussex 1 — 6 1 3 3 — — Warwickshire — — — — — — — —