Electoral Administration Bill

I am grateful for the noble Lord’s clarification. However, Amendments Nos. 113 and 114, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, do talk about that. Perhaps I was looking at the noble Lord when I should have been looking at the noble Baroness—the difficulty might be as simple as that. The issues addressed by the working group of my right honourable friend George Howarth are real in terms of how the old system worked. We are reluctant to think about going back to a previous system which did not give people a choice. Two obvious consequences of not having a choice were that it was difficult for people to get credit references, because they were not on the electoral register per se, and that things such as residential car-parking spaces, which are important for people in certain parts of the country, were denied them. There are specific reasons why it is better not to revert to the old system. I know that, in part, the purpose of these amendments was to try to get us to consider further what we are going to do to address this issue. I have been given some advice on what the noble Lord says, which I cannot understand. I will hand it back again, because I do not see why it makes any difference. Perhaps I will get a note—which is what I asked for—explaining it to me. If the noble Lord planned to do something different, then that is what he did, as far as I am concerned—even if the technicalities mean that I am advised differently. We accept that we need to do something in this area and I understand that noble Lords would prefer to see something substantive in the Bill. I am not sure whether I can specifically achieve that at this point, or whether it is the right thing to achieve. It may be that an order-making power approved by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee would be appropriate. If that were the case, I would wish to do so recognising that noble Lords have no desire to see that power languish, but want it to be implemented speedily and efficiently. I therefore need to commit on that appropriately. I am particularly taken with the role of the Lord Chancellor in the amendments of the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham. However, the old system had its weaknesses, which I have tried to set out. I am therefore reluctant to go back to that. I also understand that the Ministry of Defence does not wish to be given additional responsibilities which it does not feel are appropriate for it. There are issues of how we are seeking to publicise and work with the Electoral Commission, to tackle some of the publicity questions about people knowing that they can register, the ways in which they can vote and so on. There may be additional points that we should deal with properly. I have already suggested that we move from 12 months to three to five years. I hope that noble Lords will consider that and let me have their views on it before Report. But I am mindful that I need to come back with, or to be ready to receive, something by then. On that basis, I hope that the noble Lord feels that he can withdraw his amendment.