§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to remove the need for people with a mental handicap in long-stay hospitals to complete a patient's declaration before they are allowed to register to vote; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what plans he has to allow people with a mental handicap to use the addresses of their long-stay hospital as their residence for voting purposes; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many residents in long-stay mental handicap hospitals are registered to vote;
(4) what plans he has to review the rule relating to voting for people resident in long-stay mental handicap hospitals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldVoluntary patients in psychiatric hospitals may register as electors in respect of any address with which they have been associated other than the hospital address. There are no plans to review this arrangement or the requirement for voluntary patients to make a declaration in order to register.
A total of 1,661 voluntary patients are included on the 1991–92 electoral register in the United Kingdom, broken down as follows:
Number England 883 Wales 164 Scotland 523 Northern Ireland 91