§ Mr. Rifkindasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, and under what authority, it is permitted to sell to the public details of who voted at parliamentary and local elections.
§ Mr. Harry EwingRules 58 and 59 of the parliamentary elections rules in the second schedule to the Representation of 487W the People Act 1949 require the documents listed in rule 56—except ballot papers, counterfoils and certificates of employment—to be open to public inspection after an election and provide for copies or extracts of these documents to be supplied, on request, on payment of authorised fees. The documents available in this way include marked copies of registers, which indicate the persons who have voted, but obviously not how they voted. Corresponding arrangements apply for local elections under rule 47 of the Scottish local elections rules 1974 (SI 1974 No. 82).