asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek powers to discontinue the practice of presiding officers at polling booths of making marks upon the counterfoils of ballot papers issued to voters in statutory elections, as this can lead to the identification of electors and to the manner in which they have voted.

The whole procedure is carefully regulated by statute so as to ensure the secrecy of the ballot. The matter was considered by the Speaker's Conference in 1967, which recommended no change, and was included in the terms of reference of the Speaker's Conference convened in the last Parliament.