§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the companies that have been contracted to provide advice and services to local authorities in connection with the pilot projects for alternative voting to be conducted at the May 2000 local elections under section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000, indicating, for each local authority, the nature of the advice and services to be provided by each company and the cost to public funds. [118239].
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienLocal authorities which made applications under section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 to run pilot schemes were asked to estimate the likely additional costs (or savings) which these schemes would involve. They were not asked whether any additional costs would arise from payments to contracting companies, but I am aware that of the three local authorities which are piloting electronic voting, Bury and Salford will be using technology supplied by Trilogy Information Systems Ltd. and Stratford on Avon will be using the Nedap Powervote System.