§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the membership of the joint committee looking into electoral administration matters referred to by the Minister of State in his oral answer of 22 October,Oficial Report, column 557, giving the terms of reference and expected time of reporting.
§ Mr. Peter LloydFive working groups of Home Office officials and representatives of returning officers and local authorities will consider different aspects of the electoral process. The remits of the working groups are as follows:
Electoral registration
To examine the scope for changes to the present registration system, including the definition of residence, the role of the qualifying date, the procedures for claims and objections, and to assess the feasibility and resource implications of rolling registration.Absent voting
To consider changes to the absent voting system, including qualification for an absent vote for an indefinite period or at a particular election, and the closing dates for applications.
Forms
To consider, in consultation with HMSO, the need for the changes to electoral registration, absent voting and election forms.
Returning Officers' fees and expenses
930W
§ Mr. JackChanges in the relative involvement in crime of persons of different ages are measured centrally for England and Wales by changes in the number of persons found guilty at magistrates courts or the Crown court or cautioned by the police. Chapter 5 of the 1990 issue of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (Cm 1935) contains information on these known offenders analysed by age, sex and offence.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those cautioned in each of the 1985 and 1988 samples in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/92 entitled the criminal histories of those cautioned in 1985 and 1988 who had been cautioned previously, had been cautioned(a) on one occasion in the past, (b) on two occasions, (c) on three occasions, (d) on four occasions, or (e) on five or more occasions.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 19 October 1992]: The information requested is in the tables. As estimates for all those cautioned, the figures in table 2 are liable to some sampling error.
To consider whether changes are required to current categories of expenditure, and whether current levels of fees and allowances are appropriate.
Automated vote counting
To explore the practical implications of introducing automated vote counting procedures with a view to conducting a trial at either a parliamentary or local government election. This group might also consider other miscellaneous suggestions about voting procedures.
It is expected that the working groups will report back next summer. Membership of the five working groups will be settled shortly and I will write to the hon. Member with the details.
Membership will be drawn from the organisations as follows:
- Association of District Councils
- Association of Metropolitan Authorities
- Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland
- Association of District Secretaries
- Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
- Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Scotland)
- Scottish Assessors' Association
- Association of Electoral Administrators