§ Mr. LIVINGSTONEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that many electors in the Western Isles are unable to vote owing to the distance of the polling stations from their villages, in some cases as far as 15 miles; and whether he is prepared to remove this injustice by authorising the local authority to provide voting facilities in every village school?
Mr. ADAMSONI am not aware of any recent complaint of inadequate polling facilities in the Western Isles Division, but the matter is not one which comes within my jurisdiction. For the purpose of Parliamentary Elections, the sheriff, as returning officer, is under 1627W statute required to appoint polling places, in such manner as to give to all electors in the constituency such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances; and he is entitled to use for the poll any room in a school receiving a grant out of moneys provided by Parliament. If the arrangements made by the returning officer are not considered satisfactory, it is open to a local authority, or not less than thirty electors, to make a representation to the Lord Advocate, in terms of Section 31 (2) as read with Section 43 (17) of the Representation of the People Act, 1918.