§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that the London electorate is able to understand(a) the range of elections in June and (b) the different voting system they will have to use. [163378]
§ Keith HillResponsibility for promoting voter understanding in the June elections to the Greater London Authority and European Parliament rests with the Electoral Commission under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Greater London Returning Officer has overall responsibility for organising and running the GLA elections and, in 2004, the European Parliament elections in the London region. I understand that the Electoral Commission and Greater London Returning Officer are working in partnership on a programme of public information and awareness.
The Government have made provision for the Greater London Returning Officer to include information about the GLA and European Parliamentary elections in the 911W booklet of election addresses by the Mayoral candidates, which the Greater London Returning Officer compiles and which will be delivered to each elector. The election rules also require the Greater London Returning Officer to provide notices for the guidance of voters which must be displayed at polling stations and for similar information to be sent to postal voters.