§ Baroness Howells of St Davidsasked Her Majesty's Government:
What pilot schemes of innovative electoral procedures they have approved for the May local elections.[HL1640]
22WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)My honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, Mr O' Brien, is making orders to enable the following pilot schemes to take place at this May's local elections:
Scheme Amber Valley Extension of entitlement to postal vote Blackburn with Darwen Early voting Blackpool Early voting Bolton All postal ballot Broxbournc Electronic counting Chester Early voting Coventry Early voting Doncaster All postal ballot Eastleigh Extension of entitlement to postal vote Gateshead All postal ballot Gloucester Extension of entitlement to postal vote Kingston upon Hull Early voting Knowsley Early voting Leeds Extended hours of poll Manchester Early voting Milton Keynes Extension of entitlement to postal vote Mole Valley Extended hours of poll Plymouth Early voting Redditch Early voting St Helens Early voting Stevenage All postal ballot Stoke-on-Trent Early voting Sunderland Early voting and mobile voting Swindon All postal ballot Wigan All postal ballot Windsor and Maidenhead Mobile early voting facility. In addition, he hopes to be able to make orders in relation to the following schemes very shortly:
Scheme Bury Electronic voting and counting Norwich All postal ballot, mobile polling facility and early voting Salford Electronic voting and counting Stratford Electronic voting and counting Three Rivers Electronic counting Watford Mobile polling facility, early voting, weekend voting and freepost facility.