asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any information on legislation extant in other European Economic Community countries on the banning of opinion polls for periods prior to public elections; if he has any plans to introduce such legislation in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The only information we have is for France, where in 1977 legislation was introduced banning the publication of opinion polls from the week before the first round of any elections. There are no plans to introduce similar controls in the United Kingdom.