§ 30. Mr. AllenTo ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if he will make a statement on progress with extension of postal voting. [137052]
Mr. MatinsI have been asked to reply.
It is for the Government, not the Electoral Commission, to take steps to extend the availability of all-postal voting. However, the Electoral Commission submitted recommendations to Government on the future use of postal voting at local elections in their report "The shape of elections to come" in July 2003. It has also been directed by Government to recommend up to three European Parliamentary regions where all postal pilots would take place at the European Parliamentary elections in 2004.