Mr. Batesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the duties of the police in respect of ballot boxes being transported from the polling station to the count in elections in Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
(2) who has responsibility for the safety and security of ballot boxes and ballot papers, whilst polling is taking place, whilst the boxes are being transported to the count, and whilst the count is taking place in local and national elections in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and who had these responsibilities in the recent referendum;
(3) what guidelines are issued to those responsible for the safety and security of ballot boxes and ballot papers in local and national elections in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and what such guidelines were issued in the recent referendum;
(4) who was responsible for arrangements to transport ballot boxes from the polling station to the count in local and national elections in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and who had such responsibility in the recent referendum;
(5) what guidelines are issued to those responsible for arrangements to transport ballot boxes from the polling station to the count in local and national elections 483W in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and what such guidelines were issued in the recent referendum.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe statutory provisions for parliamentary elections and local elections place on the presiding officer responsibility for the security of ballot boxes and ballot papers while polling is taking place. He is also responsible for their delivery to the returning officer subject, if delivery is not carried out personally by the presiding officer, to the approval of the returning officer to the arrangements made. Responsibility lies with the returning officer during the count. Over the years, guidance has been given to returning officers about any changes in the statutory provisions as they came into effect. The police have no specific statutory duties in connection with ballot boxes, but they give assistance if requested to do so by the returning officer, who has general responsibility for the conduct of the election.
For the referendum, responsibility for the security of ballot boxes and ballot papers rested with the presiding officer while polling was taking place and while the boxes were being transported to the verifying officer, subject, if delivery was not carried out personally by the presiding officer, to the directions of the verifying officer. At the verification stage and while the ballot boxes were being transported to the count, responsibility rested with the verifying officer; and, while the count was taking place, with the counting officer. These statutory provisions were explained in a memorandum of guidance sent to referendum returning officers and others concerned. The police were asked to review the arrangements they customarily make for a general election to take account of the special features of the referendum; and, in consultation with the counting officers, to pay particular attention to the safeguarding of premises used for verification and counting and to the transport of ballot boxes to the count.
Separate arrangements were made by the Ministry of Defence with regard to polling in the referendum by members of the Armed Forces and their spouses who voted in the special forces voting scheme.