HL Deb 25 May 1982 vol 430 cc1145-6WA
Lord Chelwood

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will:

  1. (a) give their interpretation of Article 5 in Part II of the Proposal for a Decision (PE 77.603) adopted by the European Parliament on the 10th March 1982, in particular stating whether the second paragraph requires an electoral procedure that enables British residents worldwide, and not limited to Community countries, to vote for British candidates in elections to the European Parliament;
  2. (b) state approximately how many British citizens, in addition to those already eligible to vote in elections to the British and European Parliaments while serving abroad, would enjoy the same rights under the terms of the European Parliament's Proposal.

Lord Elton

In the Government's view, the European Parliament's proposals would apply only to Community nationals resident in the Community. There may be about 300,000 citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies living in other member states of the Community.

Lord Chelwood

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will summarise the criteria that apply to the right of British citizens abroad to vote in British and European Parliament elections; the procedures that enable them to do so; and the approximate number of voters involved.

Lord Elton

There are two categories of voters enabled to vote at elections in the United Kingdom when outside the United Kingdom; service voters and absent voters.

(a) Service Voters

Crown servants and employees of the British Council serving outside the United Kingdom, and their spouses if with them, and members of the armed forces and their spouses, may make a service declaration which entitles them to a proxy vote at parliamentary, European Parliament and local government elections in the constituency or electoral area where they would be qualified to vote were it not for the circumstances which entitle them to make a service declaration. The number of people registered as service voters throughout the United Kingdom is about 250,000; this figure includes some members of the armed forces and their wives resident here.

(b) Absent Voters

Electors who arc unlikely to be able to go in person to the polling station by reason of the general nature of their occupation, service or employment, may vote by post or, if they are likely to be outside the United Kingdom on the day of the poll, by proxy at parliamentary and European Parliament elections in the constituency where they are on the electoral register. Figures for absent voters are not held centrally but those outside the United Kingdom at the time of an election are likely to be few in number.