§ Mr. Manderasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the new electoral register will be available for use.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonAs I indicated before the Recess, I hoped that the new registration arrangements would be operative from 1st October, or shortly thereafter, though I warned the House that I could not be certain of this and unfortunately it has not been possible to work to this time-table. I am required by the Act of 1943 to fix one appointed day for the country as a whole, and accordingly can-not make the Order until I am reasonably satisfied that all Electoral Registration Officers will be in a position to compile the necessary registers on the occasion of an election. Without my going into detail, the House will appreciate that, in London particularly, as a result of the flying bomb attacks, a very heavy burden has fallen on the Electoral Registration officers, who are the employees of local councils, in connection with the arrange-436W ments for evacuation and with the amendment of the electoral records necessitated by the large number of electors who left London. All possible steps have been taken to augment the staffs and already there are signs of improvement, but I am satisfied that the earliest date from which the new arrangements could be expected to operate successfully is the 1st December, and I propose to make an Order fixing that date as the appointed day for the commencement of the new registration arrangements.