§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the President of the Board of Education (1) if he is aware that the total cost of preparing the lists and registers in Islington amounted last year to £1,680, of which sum the London County Council, pursuant to the provisions of the Registration of Electors Act, 1891, paid one-half; is it intended that the whole cost, together with any increase of expenditure necessitated by the provisions of the Franchise and Registration Bill, should it become law, is to be met thereafter by the general rate of the borough; and (2) if consideration has been given to the burden which would be cast on the poorer and more populous Metropolitan boroughs by the proposed repeal, under the Franchise and Registration Bill of the Register of Electors Act, 1891, Section 2 of which provides that in a parish situated in a Parliamentary but not in a municipal borough (as in the case of the Metropolitan boroughs) one-half of the expenses under the Registration Acts shall be defrayed out of the county fund; and will the Government be prepared to introduce a modification to meet this situation?
Mr. PEASEI am not yet able to give the cost of preparing the lists and registers in Islington last year, but I am informed that the sum mentioned by the410W hon. Member is likely to be approximately correct. Under the provisions of the Bill the whole cost of preparing the lists and registers would be met out of the general rate of the borough. I must ask the hon. Member to be good enough to wait for any further statement of the Government's intentions until the points are raised on the Committee stage of the Bill.