§ Dr. Alan Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Statutory Instrument No. 1864, 1963, relating to the London Borough Council and Greater London Council Election Rules 1963, restricts the counting agents appointed by the candidates to a total of nine, irrespective of the number of officials employed to count the votes; and, in view of the fact that inadequate scrutiny by counting agents could be prejudicial to the accurate results of the poll, if he will take steps to amend this section of the regulations in closer accord with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, Second Schedule, Rule 45.
§ Mr. BrookeThe London Borough Council and Greater London Council Elections Rules, 1963, limit the total number of counting agents to nine or, if the number of candidates exceeds twenty, to twelve. This limitation, which has applied in the past at metropolitan borough council elections, is designed to avoid a situation in which the number of persons attending the count may be so great as to interfere with the count itself. In view, however, of representations which I have received I am giving further consideration to the matter.