HC Deb 24 June 1976 vol 913 cc587-9W
Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, in the light of the judgment in

constituencies in England with, respectively, the highest and lowest electorates as given in the reply of 10th June 1976, Official Report, column 708, showing the percentage by which each exceeds or falls short of the average geographical size.

Mr. John

The information is as follows:

Warrington County Court of Judge David Lloyd-Jones, that three individuals whose home address is Winwich Hospital in the Newton parliamentary constituency, are entitled to be included on the electoral register, he will seek to amend the Representation of the People Act 1949 to this effect; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if, in view of the ruling of Judge David Lloyd-Jones of Warrington County Court that individuals resident in State psychiatric hospitals who are not suffering from mental illness are entitled to vote at local and parliamentary elections, he will issue instructions to electoral registration officers throughout the United Kingdom to take immediate steps to enfranchise the estimated 50,000 people in this category who have hitherto been disenfranchised.

Mr. John

The Government have already accepted in principle—subject to the satisfactory resolution of certain practical problems—the recommendation of the 1973–74 Speaker's Conference that patients resident in mental hospitals should be allowed to use the hospital as their qualifying address. The judgment of the Warrington County Court appears to relate primarily to the particular circumstances of the three persons concerned. We have no authority to give instructions to registration officers; but we shall consider, when a transcript of the judgment is available, whether any guidance is needed.

Name Present Appointment Previous Occupation
Miss Betty Lockwood Chairman of Equal Opportunities Commission Chief Woman Officer of Labour Party
Lady Howe Deputy Chairman of Equal Opportunities Commission
Mr. Mark Bonham Carter Chairman, Community Relations Commission Chairman, Race Relations Board
Sir Geoffrey Wilson Chairman, Race Relations Board Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat

The information in respect of part-time appointments is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.