asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the fact that many travelling showmen and their families are deprived of a vote at elections, if he will seek to allow them to register at their permanent home, as is done for men and women serving in Her Majesty's Services.

No, Sir. The existing law regarding registration appears to provide adequately for this type of case. The implementation of a recommendation on absent voting facilities made recently by the Conference on Electoral Law should in due course help to remove any diffi- culties that the wives of showmen may have experienced.

While thanking the right hon. Lady for that reply, may I ask her to consider circulating that information to the electoral officers, so that people may have the opportunity of knowing that they can have the facility in the future, because at present they have no understanding of it?

I have many friends among the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain. I have made inquiries, and I find that no difficulties have been brought to the notice of the General Council of the Showmen's Guild. If the hon. Lady has evidence of any difficulty, I would be pleased if she would let me know.