Electoral Administration Bill

moved Amendment No. 99:"Page 27, line 2, at end insert ““, or””" The noble Baroness said: Before I begin to talk about the amendment, I want to confirm what I said that I would confirm at our previous sitting, which was how we would handle the government amendment to come forward regarding loans on Report. Members of the Committee will recall that we had a useful discussion led by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, who is not with us at the moment, about how we might do that. I suggested that an appropriate way forward would be if we saw Report as an opportunity to have a flexible Committee-style discussion around that amendment. I think that Members of the Committee felt that that was appropriate, and that we should have the capacity where it was felt appropriate to have votes on the amendment at Third Reading if, in the light of that discussion, noble Lords wanted more time. I have spoken to my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor, and to my noble friend the Chief Whip, who is going to confirm that through the usual channels. I understand that that has been accepted, and am delighted that it is the procedure that we will follow. In moving Amendment No. 99, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 100. These are simply technical and consequential amendments which have resulted from the removal of what was Clause 23, which permitted independent candidates to use descriptions of up to six words. In what was Clause 23(3), a provision to amend rule 8 of the parliamentary election rules was included which provided that an independent candidate must, in his consent to nomination,"““state that he has not been selected or authorised to stand in the name or on behalf of any registered party, organisation or other person””." Clause 27(3) makes it an offence to make a false statement to that effect. However, as this statement is no longer required to be made, there is no need to create an offence referring to it. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.