Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Yes, I was gesturing to the hon. Lady as if she were there, because in spirit she is sitting just over the Minister's shoulder, keeping a beady eye on him. My point is that returning officers often have not only the law breathing down their neck, but elected Members who, in particular at the moment, are understandably worried about the financial situation. They will be wondering whether it is better to spend money on electoral registration, the proper running of election counts and buying more polling station equipment, or on keeping a swimming pool open. I understand the pressure on returning officers, who want clarity from Parliament, but sometimes, as my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow South (Mr Harris) said, they are wrong. There is remarkably little freedom in law to give out a ballot paper after 10 o'clock, as the Minister reminded us in a debate the other day—[Interruption.] Indeed, there is no leniency or flexibility. However, some returning officers in the general election did give out ballot papers after 10 o'clock, because there had been extensive queues, so there has to be a bit of give and take in the relationship between Parliament and returning officers. Nevertheless, on the matter before us, I have often found that returning officers, who in the Government's new schedule would be given a degree of flexibility about whom they allowed to attend the count, choose not to allow the Member, as of right, to attend. It is a relatively minor point, but Members should be allowed to attend.