§ Mr. N. M'LEANasked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that about 60,000 soldiers are on the Glasgow register of voters as Parliamentary electors who are without local government votes; that thousands of these men, having been demobilised, are now in Glasgow and possess no right to vote in the coming education authority or town and parish council elections; and will he introduce a measure directing registration officers in Scotland to enfranchise for local government purposes all Parliamentary electors who are, or have been, in the Forces of the Crown, so that the demobilised men may be able to vote in the coming education authority elections?
§ Mr. MUNROI am aware that a large number of naval and military voters in Glasgow are registered as Parliamentary electors and not as local government electors, and it is probable that a proportion of these are now demobilised and resident in Glasgow. It is the case that owing to the differences in the Parliamentary and local government franchises these men will not be qualified to vote in local government elections held on the present register. I am afraid, however, that I cannot hold out any hope of legislation such as the hon. Member suggests.
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§ Mr. N. M'LEANasked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that Scottish registration officers have refused to grant local government votes to sons and daughters qualified as to age, because they reside in houses rented under £13 in counties and £15 in burghs; that thousands of these men and women possessed local government votes under the old franchise law; and will he introduce a measure enfranchising for local government purposes all who are Parliamentary electors and, in addition, enfranchise for all local government purposes all women of twenty-one years of age upwards, apart from any question of having let to them a furnished or unfurnished room or rooms?
§ Mr. MUNROI think the hon. Member is under a misapprehension as to the purpose and effect of a working rule which, I understand, has been generally adopted by registration officers in Scotland. As he is aware, the qualifications for the lodgers' franchise requires that the lodgings shall be of a yearly value if let unfurnished of not less than £10. In making up the lists of electors it has been found necessary to proceed upon some suchprima facie test of value as that mentioned in the question. The practice, however, in no way precludes a lodger whose name has been omitted from the lists from making and establishing a claim to be placed upon the register. I am not in a position to give the under taking sought in the last part of the question.