Sir L. HARMSWORTHasked the Secretary for Scotland why the townships of Melness and Skerray, which have hitherto had polling stations at school board elections, were denied this facility at the recent election for educational authority?
§ Mr. MUNROI understand that the principal consideration that weighed with the responsible returning officer in this matter was the custom of having only one polling station within this parish for country council and Parliamentary purposes. Moreover, to have provided two polling stations would have involved difficulties, in the circumstances of the present year, in connection with the form of the register and the definition of polling boundaries. The matter will be considered before the next election.
Sir L. HARMSWORTHasked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that an application to establish a polling booth at Skerray, Sutherland, for the election of the education authority was refused and that voters in this township were required to proceed to Tongue, eight miles distant, to register their votes, and that, in view of the difficulty of registering their votes thus placed in this way, the inhabitants of Skerray were largely disfranchised; and whether he will take steps to prevent the recurrence of this scandal on future occasions?
§ Mr. MUNROThe circumstances of this district were brought to my notice, but it was found that the returning officer—with whom the power of determining the situation of polling stations rested—was unable to entertain all the applications for polling facilities. I understand that in other dis- 75W tricts where the population is scattered it was necessary for electors to travel much further to polling stations than in the case in question. In connection with, future education authority elections more time will be available for preparation, and steps will be taken to secure full consideration of the demands of places such as are referred to by the hon. Member