Political Parties and Elections Bill

These amendments were introduced on Report in the Lords and accepted without debate. They are seen as necessary for the implementation of the CORE scheme, the co-ordinated online record of electors. In particular, they are essential to ensure that there is authority to create a new non-departmental public body to fulfil the role of CORE keeper. Until November 2008, it was intended that the Electoral Commission would fulfil that role, and the Electoral Administration Act 2006 made provision for that. However, following recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the commission is seeking to refocus its functions and concentrate on enhancing its regulatory role, as the House knows. The Government agree with the commission that that is the right thing to do. Moreover, the Government have now brought forward their proposals for the introduction of a scheme of individual registration. It is quite likely that we will require a central point through which electors' personal identifiers, such as national insurance numbers, may be validated with the relevant authority. The CORE scheme could provide that service. Such a role does not currently fit with the Electoral Commission's redefined regulatory role, but it is important that the public body taking on the role is demonstrably independent from Government. By introducing these amendments, we will ensure that the CORE scheme can be delivered without delay, and that the necessary infrastructure can be developed to facilitate the introduction of individual registration. The new clause introduced in Lords amendment 33 inserts a new section 3A into the 2006 Act to enable the Secretary of State, by order, to establish a new non-departmental public body in the form of a corporation sole with a view to its being designated by a CORE scheme as the CORE keeper. Taking a power to create that corporation sole in secondary legislation is designed to provide appropriate flexibility so that the precise detail of the structure and operation of the body, and the timing of its creation, can be developed consistently with the CORE scheme order. The public sensitivity about the security and use of personal data is an extremely serious matter, and the Government take it seriously.