asked Her Majesty's Government:What applications they have received from local authorities wanting to run pilot schemes at local elections in May 2000. [HL848]

We hope that the Representation of the People Bill will receive Royal Assent in time to allow the first pilot schemes of innovative electoral procedures to be run at local elections in May.Clause 10(11) of the Bill allows for applications to be submitted before the Bill receives Royal Assent.Forty-four local authorities have submitted applications to run 64 pilot schemes.Of these, 21 involve early voting, 14 involve all postal ballots, eight involve electronic voting or counting, seven involve changes to the absent vote arrangements, six involve weekend voting, four involve a mobile ballot box, two involve an extension to polling hours, one involves voter notification, and one involves a freepost facility. Details are set out in the table.Home Office officials will notify local authorities by 14 February whether my right honourable friend the Home Secretary would be minded to approve their applications should the Bill receive Royal Assent in time for schemes to be run in May.