asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he proposes to make to reimburse those local authorities which are losing authorities under the general grant system of financing local government for the expense put upon them by his recent decision to charge them for the whole cost of postage in connection with electoral registration.

No special arrangements are proposed. As a consequence of the Post Office Act, 1961, the Post Office looks to electoral registration officers, in common with all other public authorities, to pay for services rendered. A sum representing the estimated charges for electoral registration forms sent through the post was included in the relevant expenditure in fixing the general grant for the years 1961–62 and 1962–63.