§ Mr CLOUGHasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a communication from the Cowling parish council suggesting that, in substitution for the existing custom of electing parish councillors by show of hands, he will issue regulations that will provide for nominations of candidates to be handed in to the clerk of the parish council three days prior to the parish election meeting, for the clerk to have a list of all valid nominations printed on ballot papers and to furnish a ballot paper to every eligible elector at that meeting, for time to be allowed at that meeting for withdrawals which shall be announced and struck off the list, for the chairman of the meeting to state the number of councillors that are required and may be voted for, for scrutineers to be appointed by the meeting to collect the ballot papers and to count the votes recorded thereon, and for the chairman to announce the numbers of votes cast and to declare the names of the councillors who have been duly elected; whether he proposes to adopt all or any of these suggestions in his new regulations; and whether he will issue his new regulations during the year 1913?
§ Mr. BURNSI do not find that I have received the communication referred to, but I shall be happy to consider the suggestions mentioned in the question. I am not as yet in a position to say when any new regulations will be issued.