§ Mr. OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the percentage turnouts in each of the polling districts in Purley, Croydon, for(a) 1994 and (b) 1998. [42237]
§ Ms ArmstrongA record of local election returns is not kept centrally by any Government Department. Inquiries relating to the turnout in an individual local authority should be directed to the Returning Officer for that authority.
§ Mr. OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the experimental polling station location at Tesco's in Purley, Croydon. [42238]
§ Ms ArmstrongImproving turnout in local elections is an important part of the Government's modernising local government agenda. The London Borough of Croydon should be congratulated on their efforts to make voting more convenient. We will be looking at the lessons from Croydon's initiative, as well as the responses to our consultation papers as we work up our Local Government White Paper to be published this Summer.