§ Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that at the General Eelection held on 6th December, 1923, in the Parliamentary Division of Pontypridd, certain presiding officers supplied certain persons with ballot papers and permitted them to record votes illegally in the said Parliamentary Election, despite the fact that the names of the said persons were clearly shown on the register of voters for the said polling stations as being entitled to the local government vote but not to the Parliamentary vote; and will he take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of such incidents?
Mr. DAVIESThe acting returning officer has been communicated with, and I am informed that three ballot papers were issued at two polling stations in the circumstances stated in the question. It is reported to me that the presiding officers at both stations were competent and experienced men, and special instructions on the point had been given to the officials, but that the work of marking the register is usually undertaken by the poll clerk and in one of the two cases the presiding officer was necessarily absent temporarily at the time. It appears also that each of the persons to whom the ballot papers were issued was entitled to a Parliamentary vote at another polling station, which votes were not recorded I am not aware of any similar incidents elsewhere, but I will consider whether any further measures are possible to guard against a recurrence of such cases.