registering as a voter was loosened up last year, MPs heard yesterday.

The biggest losers were Pembroke West Central, which lost 27 people, and Warwick East, where 26 people moved out.

And the biggest gainers were St. George's South, which gained 20 voters and Devonshire North, which picked up an extra 14 people.

The news came in written answers to questions to Labour and Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox from Opposition Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt.

Ms Cox wrote that a total of 585 people had applied to be registered as a voter for the first time to date.

And a total of 667 people already registered had complied with the law and notified the Parliamentary Registrar of changes of address or name, or both.

The 1999 change in the law abolished annual voter registration, replacing that system with a rolling register.

Polling stations will also open longer hours and the types of identification accepted was widened.