§ Mr. Grocottasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list showing the number of postal votes cast in each parliamentary constituency in the February and October 1974 General Elections.
§ Mr. JohnThe information for October 1974 is given in the following table.
I regret that the corresponding information for February 1974 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of postal voters on the absent voters list and on the list of postal proxies is given in column (3) of the two publications "Election Expenses"—House of Commons 69 and 478—presented to the House of Commons in December 1974 and July 1975. Further information about postal votes cast in these two General Elections is contained in the answers my right hon. Friend and I gave to Questions by the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) on 15th December—[Vol. 941, c. 353]—and 17th January—[Vol. 942, cc. 109–32].
654W
POSTAL VOTES CAST AT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION, OCTOBER 1974 Constituency and Postal Votes Cast ENGLAND Avon Kingswood … … 1,186 North Somerset … … 2,804 South Gloucestershire … … 1,573 Weston-Super-Mare … … 2,299 Bath … … 2,866 Bristol, North-East … … 1,027 Bristol, North-West … … 2,766 Bristol, South … … 751 Bristol, South-East … … 1,203 Bristol, West … … 2,064 Bedfordshire Bedford … … 2,334 Mid-Bedfordshire … … 1,895 South Bedfordshire … … 1,587 Luton, East … … 1,444 Luton, West … … 1,374 655W
Constituency and Postal votes cast Berkshire Newbury … 1,781 Reading, South … 2,213 Windsor and Maidenhead … 1,635 Wokingham … 1,833 Eton and Slough … 1,051 Reading, North … 2,463 Buckinghamshire Aylesbury … 1,847 Beaconsfield … 1,404 Buckingham … 3,065 Chesham and Amersham … 1,968 Wycombe … 1,891 Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire … 1,954 Huntingdonshire … 2,078 Isle of Ely … 1,944 Cambridge … 2,930 Peterborough … 2,245 Cheshire City of Chester … 1,990 Crewe … 773 Macclesfield … 2,032 Nantwich … 1,180 Newtown … 1,274 Northwich … n/a Runcorn … 1,329 Widnes … 901 Warrington … 454 Cleveland Cleveland and Whitby … 1,334 Hartlepool … 862 Teesside, Middlesbrough … 745 Teesside, Redcar … 910 Teesside, Stockton … 1,010 Teesside, Thornaby … 1,366 Cornwall Bodmin … 2,603 Falmouth and Camborne … 1,542 North Cornwall … 2,727 St. Ives … 1,379 Truro … 2,448 Cumbria Penrith and the Border … 1,328 Westmorland … 1,216 Whitehaven … 868 Workington … 806 Barrow-in-Furness … 862 Carlisle … 1,919 Derbyshire Belper … 1,564 Bolsover … 354 High Peak … 2,074 Ilkeston … 959 Derbyshire, North-East … 693 Derbyshire, South-East … 1,274 Derbyshire, West … 1,332 Chesterfield … 1 014 Derby, North … 1,743 Derby, South … 1,248 Devon Honiton … 2,062 Devon, North … 3,298 Tiverton … 1,567 Totnes … 2,267 Devon, West … 2,107 Exeter … 2,850 Plymouth, Devonport … 1,793 Plymouth, Drake … 1,912 Plymouth, Sutton … 1,733 Torbay … 2,284 656W
Constituency and Postal votes cast Dorset Dorset, North 2,062 Dorset, South n/a Dorset, West 1,764 Bournemouth, East 1,131 Bournemouth, West 1,201 Poole 1,513 Durham Bishop Auckland 899 Chester-le-Street 811 Consett 536 Durham 965 Easington 445 North West Durham 681 Darlington 1,494 East Sussex Eastbourne 2,068 East Grinstead 1,530 Lewes 2,015 Rye 1,896 Brighton, Kemptown 1,632 Brighton, Pavilion 1,139 Hastings 1,486 Hove 2,104 Essex Braintree 2,436 Brentwood and Ongar 1,515 Chelmsford 2,049 Colchester 2,427 Epping Forest 1,343 Harlow 901 Harwich 2,038 Maldon 1,525 Saffron Walden 2,518 South-East Essex 1,191 Basildon 1,585 Southend, East 1,197 Southend, West 1,452 Thurrock 646 Gloucestershire Cirencester and Tewkesbury 1,691 Stroud 1,904 West Gloucestershire 1,389 Cheltenham 1,820 Gloucester 1,417 Greater London Barking 405 Barking, Dagenham 413 Barnet, Chipping Barnet 1,128 Barnet, Finchley 1,054 Barnet, Hendon, North 1,215 Barnet, Hendon, South 1,110 Bexley, Bexleyheath 1,146 Bexley, Erith and Crayford 1,016 Bexley, Sidcup 1,090 Brent, East 925 Brent, North 1,315 Brent, South 734 Bromley, Beckenham 1,519 Bromley, Chislehurst 1,949 Bromley, Orpington 2,015 Bromley, Ravensbourne 1,202 Camden, Hampstead 1,990 Camden, Holborn and St. Pancras South 509 Camden, St. Pancras North 706 Croydon, Central 1,566 Croydon, North-East 1,378 Croydon, North-West 987 Croydon, South 1,321 Ealing, Acton 1,723 Ealing, North 1,803 657W
Constituency and Postal Votes Cast Greater Landon (Continued) Ealing, Southall 990 Enfield, Edmonton 966 Enfield, North 1,158 Enfield, Southgate 1,441 Greenwich 815 Greenwich, Woolwich, East 801 Greenwich, Woolwich, West 1,695 Hackney, Central 412 Hackney, North and Stoke Newington 549 Hackney, South and Shoreditch 372 Hammersmith, Fulham 1,509 Hammersmith, North 1,040 Haringey, Hornsey 2,017 Haringey, Tottenham 571 Haringey, Wood Green 653 Harrow, Central 1,126 Harrow, East 1,297 Harrow, West 1,258 Havering, Hornchurch 802 Havering, Romford 928 Havering, Upminster 1,184 Hillingdon, Hayes and Harlington 655 Hillingdon, Ruislip-Northwood 1,111 Hillingdon, Uxbridge 1,568 Hounslow, Brentford and Isleworth 2,049 Hounslow, Feltham and Heston 1,137 Islington, Central 538 Islington, North 505 Islington, South and Finsbury 452 Kensington and Chelsea, Chelsea 1,352 Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington 1,575 Kingston upon Thames 1,312 Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton 921 Lambeth, Central 565 Lambeth, Norwood 1,151 Lambeth, Streatham 1,355 Lambeth, Vauxhall 479 Lewisham, Deptford 840 Lewisham, East 1,744 Lewisham, West 1,703 Merton, Mitcham and Morden 1,073 Merton, Wimbledon 1,880 Newham, North-East 428 Newham, South 211 Newham, North-West 329 Redbridge, Ilford, North 1,083 Redbridge, Ilford, South 1,240 Redbridge, Wanstead and Wood-ford 1,074 Richmond upon Thames, Richmond 1,389 Richmond upon Thames, Twickenham 1,579 Southwark, Bermondsey 368 Southwark, Dulwich 1,511 Southwark, Peckham 814 Sutton and Cheam 1,936 Sutton, Carshalton 1,517 Tower Hamlets, Bethnal Breen and Bow 247 Tower Hamlets, Stepney and Poplar 328 Waltham Forest, Chingford 917 Waltham Forest, Leyton 788 Waltham Forest, Walthamstow 647 Wandsworth, Battersea, North 598 Wandsworth, Battersea, South 1,343 Wandsworth, Putney 2,249 Wandsworth, Tooting 1,055 The City of London and West minster, South 1,022 City of Westminster, Paddington 1,255 City of Westminster, St. Marylebone 815 658W
Constituency and Postal vote cast Greater Manchester Heywood and Royton … 1,309 Knutsford … 1,307 Stalybridge and Hyde … 919 Westhoughton … 919 Altrincham and Sale … 1,550 Ashton-under-Lyne … 931 Bolton, East … 1,750 Bolton, West … 1,515 Bury and Radcliffe … 2,045 Cheadle … 1,859 Eccles … 581 Farnworth … 713 Hazel Grove … 1,899 Ince … 457 Leigh … 558 Manchester, Ardwick … 542 Manchester, Blackley … 1,365 Manchester, Central … 239 Manchester, Gorton … 713 Manchester, Moss side … 1,208 Manchester, Openshaw … 443 Manchester, Withington … 1,211 Manchester, Wythenshawe … 1,219 Middleton and Prestwich … 1,857 Oldham, East … 1,015 Oldham, West … 835 Rochdale … 1,436 Salford East … 622 Salford, West … 539 Stockport, North … 1,283 Stock port, South … 979 Stretford … 1,568 Wigan … 500 Hampshire Aldershot … 1,818 Basingstoke … 1,652 Eastleieh … 1,745 New Forest … 1,430 Petersfield … 2,025 Winchester … 2,459 Christchurch and Lymington … 1,217 Fareham … 1,067 Gosport … 1,241 Havant and Waterloo … 1,517 Portsmouth, North … 2,549 Portsmouth, South … 1,711 Southampton, Itchen … 1,303 Southampton, Test … 1,712 Hereford and Worcester Bromsgrove and Redditch … 2,014 Hereford … 1,589 Kidderminster … 1,375 Leominster … 1,569 South Worcestershire … 1,710 Worcester 1,526 Hertfordshire East Hertfordshire … 1,808 Hemel Hempstead … 2,738 Hertford and Stevenage … 1,858 Hitchin … 2,455 St. Albans … 2,200 Hertfordshire, South … 1,298 Hertfordshire, South-West … 1,838 Welwyn and Hatfield … 2,012 Watford … 1,837 Humberside Bridlington … 980 Brigg and Scunthorpe … 1,145 Haltemprice … 1,297 Howden … 844 Louth … 1,386 659W
Constituency and Postal votes cast Humberside (Continued) Grimsby … 942 Kingston upon Hull, Central … 1,269 Kingston upon Hull, East … 513 Kingston upon Hull, West … 461 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight … 2,432 Kent … Ashford … 1,646 Canterbury … 2,281 Dartford … 1,416 Dover and Deal … 3,562 Faversham … 2,645 Folkeston and Hythe … 1,432 Gravesend … 2,401 Maidstone … 1,938 Royal Tunbridge Wells … 1,825 Sevenoaks … 2,267 Tonbridge and Mailing … 1,674 Gillingham … 1,482 Rochester and Chatham … 2,177 Thanet, East … 1,171 Thanet, West … 1,177 Lancashire Chorley … 2,082 Clitheroe … 1,150 Darwen … 1,938 Lancaster … 1,531 Morecambe and Lonsdale … 1,356 North Fylde … 1,082 Ormskirk … 1,293 South Fylde … 1,560 Accrington … 1,711 Blackburn … 1,507 Blackpool, North … 1,001 Blackpool, South … 1,081 Burnley … 827 Nelson and Colne … 1,961 Preston, North … 1,212 Preston, South … 1,146 Rossendale … 1,652 Leicestershire Blaby … 1,080 Bosworth … 1,430 Harborough … 1,457 Loughborough … 1,807 Melton … 1,565 Leicester, East … 958 Leicester, South … 1,395 Leicester, West … 1,156 Lincolnshire Gainsborough … 1,376 Grantham … 2,187 Holland with Boston … 1,247 Horncastle … 1,133 Rutland and Stamford … 1,470 Lincoln … 1,530 Merseyside Huyton … 762 Wirral … 1,847 Benington and Ellesmere Port … 1,411 Birkenhead … 958 Bootle … 497 Crosby … 1,434 Liverpool, Edge Hill … 293 Liverpool, Garston … 1,132 Liverpool, Kirkdale … 348 Liverpool, Scotland Exchange … 180 Liverpool, Toxteth … 672 Liverpool, Walton … 542 Liverpool, Wavertree … 815 Liverpool, West Derby … 606 660W
Constituency and Postal votes cast Merseryside (Continued) St Helens … … 607 Southport … … 1,654 Wallasey … … 1,478 Norfolk … … North Norfolk … … 2,817 North West Norfolk … … 3,025 South Norfolk … … 2,767 South West Norfolk … … 2,143 Yarmouth … … 1,575 Norwich, North … … 1,140 Norwich, South … … 2,109 Northamptonshire Daventry … … 1,847 Kettering … … 1,123 Wellingborough … … 2,290 Northampton, North … … 1,129 Northampton, South … … 1,387 Northumberland Berwick-upon-Tweed … … 2,605 Hexham … … 1,929 Morpeth … … 560 Blyth … … 657 North Yorkshire Harrogate … … 2,158 Richmond (Yorkshire) … … 1,076 Ripon … … 2,076 Scarborough … … 1,136 Skipton … … 1,510 Thirsk and Malton … … 1,297 York … … 1,987 Nottinghamshire Ashfield … … 619 Bassetlaw … … 1,079 Beeston … … 2,117 Carlton … … 1,354 Mansfield … … 705 Newark … … 1,735 Rushcliffe … … 1,953 Nottingham, East … … 1,411 Nottingham, North … … 1,266 Nottingham, West … … 1,143 Oxfordshire Abingdon … … 2,236 Banbury … … 1,632 Henley … … 1,559 Mid-Oxen … … 1,321 Oxford … … 3,078 Salop Ludlow … … 1,163 Oswestry … … 1,154 Shrewsbury … … 1,703 The Wrekin … … 2,011 Somerset Bridgwater … … 2,058 Taunton … … 2,346 Wells … … 1,857 Yeovil … … 2,100 South Yorkshire Dearne Valley Don Valley … … 430 Don Valley … … 790 Goole … … 934 Penistone … … 669 Rother Valley … … 500 Barnsley … … 587 Doncaster … … 1,474 Rotherham … … 456 Sheffield, Attercliffe … … 609 Sheffield, Brightside … … 527 Sheffield, Hallam … … 1,826 661W
Constituency and Postal Votes Cast South Yorkshire (Continued) Sheffield, Heeley … 1,139 Sheffield, Hillsborough … 712 Sheffield, Park … 655 Staffordshire Burton … 1,657 Cannock … 778 Leek … 1,495 Lichfield and Tamworth … 1,434 South-West Staffordshire … 901 Stafford and Stone … 1,610 Newcastle under Lyme … 1,487 Stoke-on-Trent, Central … 379 Stoke-on-Trent, North … 345 Stoke-on-Trent, South … 473 Suffolk Bury St. Edmunds … 2,193 Eye … 1,996 Lowestoft … 2,303 Sudbury and Woodbridge … 2,489 Ipswich … 3,035 Surrey Dorking … 1,246 East Surrey … 1,599 Farnham … 1,860 Guildford … 2,083 North-West Surrey … 1,455 Woking … 1,669 Chertsey and Walton … 1,599 Epsom and Ewell … 2,012 Esher … 1,165 Reigate … 2,015 Spelthorne … 1,183 Tyne and Wear Houghton-le-Spring … 348 Blaydon … 368 Gateshead, East … 463 Gateshead, West … 198 Jarrow … 713 Newcastle upon Tyne, Central … 245 Newcastle upon Tyne, East … 641 Newcastle upon Tyne, North … 1,221 Newcastle upon Tyne, West … 1,233 South Shields … 607 Sunderland, North … 746 Sunderland, South … 1,186 Tynemouth … 1,257 Wallsend … 722 Warwickshire Rugby … 1,583 Stratford-on-Avon … 1,467 Warwick and Leamington … 2,068 Nuneaton … 866 West Midlands Meriden … 1,700 Aldridge-Brownhills … 992 Birmingham, Edgbaston … 1,332 Birmingham, Erdington … 709 Birmingham, Hall Green … 1,056 Birmingham, Handsworth … 685 Birmingham, Ladywood … 661 Birmingham, Northfield … 1,339 Birmingham, Perry Barr … 522 Birmingham, Selly Oak … 1,558 Birmingham, Small Heath … 495 Birmingham, Sparkbrook … 409 Birmingham, Stechford … 679 Birmingham, Yardley … 816 Coventry, North-East … 511 Coventry, North-West … 748 Coventry, South-East … 533
Constituency and Postal votes cast West Midlands (Continued) Coventry, South-West … 1,264 Dudley, East … 875 Dudley, West … 1,196 Halesowen and Stourbridge … 1,376 Solihull … 1,733 Sutton Coldfield … 1,350 Walsall, North … 443 Walsall, South … 1,200 Warley, East … 731 Warley, West … 465 West Bromwich, East … 657 West Bromwich, West … 349 Wolverhampton, North-East … 459 Wolverhampton, South-East … 336 Wolverhampton, South-West … 1,407 West Sussex Arundel … 1,790 Chichester … 1,923 Horsham and Crawley … 2,272 Mid-Sussex … 1,496 Shoreham … 1,414 Worthing … 2,007 West Yorkshire Barkston Ash … 1,677 Colne Valley … 1,760 Hemsworth … 819 Normanton … 259 Shipley … 1,573 Sowerby … 1,458 Batley and Morley … 792 Bradford, North … 1,125 Bradford, South … 1,199 Bradford, West … 1,388 Brighouse and Spenborough … 1,908 Dewsbury … 1,016 Halifax … 1,587 Huddersfield, East … 1,040 Huddersfield, West … 1,463 Keighley … 1,903 Leeds, East … 755 Leeds, North-East … 1,520 Leeds, North-West … 1,456 Leeds, South … 524 Leeds, South-East … 611 Leeds, West … 766 Pontefract and Castleford … 443 Pudsey … 1,746 Wakefield … 895 Wiltshire Chippenham … 2,104 Devizes … n/a Salisbury … 1,721 Westbury … 2,107 Swindon … 1,413 TOTAL ENGLAND* … 695,647 * See footnote at end of table. 662W
WALES Clwyd Denbigh … … 1,672 East Flint … … 1,375 West Flint … … 1,349 Wrexham … … 893 Dyfed Cardigan … … 1,912 Carmarthen … … 3,292 Llanelli … … 1,155 Pembroke … … 2,478
Constituency and Postal votes cast Gwent Abertillery … … 307 Bedwellty … … 710 Ebbw Vale … … 574 Monmouth … … 2,195 Pontypool … … 484 Newport … … 1,146 Gwynedd Anglesey … … 1,696 Caernarvon … … 1,969 Con way … … 1,784 Merioneth … … 1,766 Mid Glamorgan Caerphilly … … 728 Ogmore … … 958 Pontypridd … … 849 Aberdare … … 947 Merthyr Tydfil … … 830 Rhondda … … 1,882 Powys Brecon and Radnor … … 2,002 Montgomery … … 1,474 South Glamorgan Barry … … 1,750 Cardiff, North … … 1,142 Cardiff, North-West … … 953 Cardiff, South-East … … 894 Cardiff, West … … 835 West Glamorgan Aberavon … … 779 Gower … … 1,010 Neath … … 821 Swansea, East … … 614 Swansea, West … … 1,475 TOTAL WALES … … 46,700 663W
SCOTLAND Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire, East … … 1,180 Aberdeenshire, West … … 1,516 Aberdeen, North … … 856 Aberdeen, South … … 1,877 Angus and Kincardine Norlh Angus and Mearns … … 889 South Angus … … 1,202 Dundee, East … … 1,347 Dundee, West … … 1,197 Argyll Argyll … … 1,299 Ayshire and Bute Ayr … … 1,369 Bute and North Ayrshire … … 1,109 Central Ayrshire … … 1,357 South Ayrshire … … 996 Kilmarnock … … 821 Banffshire Banff … … 1,470 Berwick and East Lothian Berwick and East Lothian … … 2,127 Caithness and Sutherland Caithness and Sutherland … … 1,333 Dumfriesshire Dumfries … … 1,757 Dunbartonshire Central Dunbartonshire … … 679 East Dunbartonshire … … 1,160 West Dunbartonshire … … 1,114 664W
Constituency and Postal votes cast Fife Central Fife 577 East Fife 1,545 Dumfermline Burghs 987 Kirkcaldy Burghs 844 Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty Inverness 1,693 Ross and Cromarty 1,043 Western Isles 576 Kirkcudbright and Wigtownshire Galloway 1,242 Lanarkshire Bothwell 495 East Kilbride 608 Hamilton 517 Lanark 1,470 Motherwell and Wishaw 382 North Lanarkshire 713 Rutherglen 746 Coatbridge and Airdrie 436 Glasgow, Cathcart 756 Glasgow, Central 131 Glasgow, Craigton 625 Glasgow, Garscadden 398 Glasgow, Goven 369 Glasgow, Hillhead 779 Glasgow, Kelvingrove 1,069 Glasgow, Maryhill 388 Glasgow, Pollock 1,066 Glasgow, Provan 255 Glasgow, Queen's Park 316 Glasgow, Shettleston 207 Glasgow, Springburn 355 Midlothian Midlothian 1,229 Edinburgh, Central 1,008 Edinburgh, East 1,075 Edinburgh, Leith 645 Edinburgh, North 1,135 Edinburgh, Pentlands 1,276 Edinburgh, South 1,511 Edinburgh, West 1,071 Moray and Nairnshire Moray and Nairn 1,592 Orkney and Zetland Orkney and Zetland 1,046 Perthshire and Kinross-shire Kinross and West Perthshire 1,190 Perth and East Perthshire 1,281 Renfrewshire Renfrewshire, East 1,038 Renfrewshire, West 1,424 Greenock and Port Glasgow 772 Paisley 655 Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire and Peebleshire Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles 2,221 Stirling and Clackmannanshire Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire 891 West Stirling 1,046 Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth 1,059 West Lothian West Lothian 907 TOTAL SCOTLAND 71,315
NORTHERN IRELAND North Antrim … 1,574 South Antrim … 1,275 Armagh … 2,508 North Down … 1,510 South Down … 3,663 Fermanagh and South Tyrone … 8,979 Mid-Ulster … 7,639 Londonderry … 3,499 Belfast, East … 988 Belfast, North … 1,070 Belfast, South … 1,072 Belfast, West … 589 TOTAL NORTHERN IRELAND … 34,366 UNITED KINGDOM TOTAL … 848,028 * Excluding the constituencies of Northwich, South Dorset and Devizes (listed above as N/A= not available) which did not submit postal vote returns.