Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Written Evidence


Memorandum by Congleton Borough Council (PVF 21)

  I refer to your letter dated 14 June 2004 passed on to me by Sir Harold Bernstein, Regional Returning Office for the North West. My responses are as follows:

GENERAL

  1.  My staff experienced considerable problems because the government were late publishing the necessary statutory instruments.

  2.  Yes problems did occur, due to the short time scale for close of nominations and delivery of postal votes. Data had to be transferred to the printing company, ballot papers had to be checked etc etc. Well too short.

  3.  Not so much skills but staff resources were extremely stretched, which meant many people working 12-15 hours per day.

  4.  No.

PRINTING AND DISSEMINATION

  5.  Unable to answer this question. This Council used a company called OPT 2 VOTE who were responsible for printing of ballot papers.

  6.  Not that I am aware.

  7.  They seemed to cope quite adequately.

  8. (a)  Due to the lateness of receiving ballot papers we would have delivered to all multiple occupied premises. However this did not take place. Hand delivery was made on requests received and replacements approximately 90.

    (b)  10.

  9. (a)  None.

    (b)  18.

    (c)  95.

VOTING PRACTICALITIES AND RETURNS

  10. (a)  Yes.

      (b)  No.

      (c)  Definitely.

  11. (a)  240

      (b)

     0.91% incorrectly completed. 0.2.4% voters' signature, 0.48% witness, 0.19%, both witness and signature.

  12.  Yes.

  13.  N/A.

COST AND RESOURCES

  14. (a)  Yes.

      (b)  Yes—£24,500

  15.  Approximately £150,000

  16.  N/A.

  I hope the aforementioned information will be of assistance to you.

Nick Shatwell

For Returning Officer





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2004
Prepared 16 September 2004