§ Sir R. Aclandasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the steps which have to be taken by an individual merchant seaman who wants to be registered and/or to appoint a proxy under the Parliament (Elections and Meetings) Act, 1943.
§ Mr. Noel-Baker,pursuant to his previous answer [OFFICIAL REPORT, 21st June, 1944; Vol. 401, c. 170], supplied the following information:
A merchant seaman who wishes to register and/or to appoint a proxy under the Parliament (Election and Meetings) Act, 1943, will be required to sign a declaration in which he
- (1) Declares that he is a British subject;
- (2) Gives his full name, Discharge Book No. and rank or rating in the Merchant Navy, and the address at which he resides or would, but for his service, reside; and
- (3) States whether he is 21 years of age and over, and, if not, his date of birth.
- If he desires to appoint a proxy, he will also be required to give the following information:
- (4) The name and address of the first proxy, together with relationship, if any, to the elector, and
- (5) The same particulars of the second proxy.
The above declaration will be made on a special card which will be made available at a Mercantile Marine Office, the Office of a Shipping Master in a British Overseas port, or a Consular Office in a foreign country. The seaman will be advised to fill up the card under the supervision of the Master of his ship, or an official of a Mercantile Marine Office, or a Shipping Master or a British Consular Officer, all of whom are authorised to act as Attesting Officers.
The card when completed and attested will be sent by the Attesting Officer to the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, Cardiff, who will enter the particulars in the Mercantile Marine Index 357W and pass the card to the appropriate electoral register officer.
The cards and explanatory memoranda have already been printed.