UK Parliament / Open data

Electoral Administration Bill

Debate on bills and Committee proceeding on Thursday, 23 March 2006, in the House of Lords.
Electoral Administration Bill. Lords Committee stage fourth day. Grand Committee off the floor of the House (Moses room). Clauses 23-74 agreed to. Clauses 27 and 72 as amended. Schedules 1 and 2 agreed to, schedule 1 as amended. New clauses considered. Bill reported with amendments (HL Bill 93 2005-06)

About these Parliamentary proceedings

Reference

680 c183-230GC 

Session

2005-06

Department

Department for Constitutional Affairs

Legislative stage

Committee stage

Procedure

New clauses

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords Grand Committee

Related items

Electoral Administration Bill. Brought from the Commons. Explanatory Notes HL Bill 58-EN also published.
Thursday, 12 January 2006
Bills
House of Commons

Proceeding contributions

Lord Tyler | 680 c221GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister. Does she recognise that there is a great deal of urgency in this matt...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c223-4GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 119C:"Page 69, line 5, at beginning insert ““Following receipt of written notifi...

Show all contributions (115)
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c228-9GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, for his suggestion. We are having an interesting deba...
Lord Norton of Louth | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) Before my noble friend responds, my concern with that is that the Minister’s response would be fine ...
Lord Beaumont of Whitley | 680 c212-4GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 119A:"After Clause 55, insert the following new clause—" ““POLICY DEVELOPMENT ...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c206GC (Link to this contribution) The Minister has just more or less agreed with what I was suggesting, so surely it would have been s...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c208-9GC (Link to this contribution) Amendment No. 118A is grouped with the amendment that the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, has just moved. ...
Lord Rennard | 680 c208GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 118:"Page 57, line 8, leave out from beginning to end of line 2 on page 58." Th...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c207GC (Link to this contribution) I am sure the noble Lord is aware that this same amendment was tabled in the other place. We hope th...
Viscount Ullswater | 680 c184GC (Link to this contribution) I must advise the Committee that, if Amendment No. 100 is agreed to, I will be unable to call Amendm...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c199GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for that reply. If she says the power is there for a ballot box to be provided ...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c197GC (Link to this contribution) I absolutely agree. Having the county council elections on the same day as the general election last...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c197GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for that reply. We have always suggested that there should be only two systems ...
Lord Rennard | 680 c195-6GC (Link to this contribution) It is clearly desirable that voting systems are readily understandable, as the amendment says. I sus...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c191GC (Link to this contribution) I shall begin by responding to Amendment No. 102A. As I shall come to describe, the clause generally...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) It is £3,000 per local authority and it is additional money. I am just telling you what it is per lo...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c226GC (Link to this contribution) I apologise. My department has about £3,000 per local authority available to give to electoral offic...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c225-6GC (Link to this contribution) I should perhaps say—I am sure noble Lords will agree—that I stand by the principle that electoral r...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) No, I would much rather my noble friend pressed the matter. Then it is absolutely clear in Hansard, ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c222GC (Link to this contribution) I can say that the discussions we will have will cover those; whether the final amendments do so wil...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c222-3GC (Link to this contribution) We have had a short debate on this subject. So far it has lasted a little less than half an hour, wh...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c221-2GC (Link to this contribution) But for Easter, we would be moving even more speedily. The difficulty we have is the Easter Recess. ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c230GC (Link to this contribution) I shall take this away for consideration. There is nothing in the speaking note to this amendment th...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c227-8GC (Link to this contribution) My understanding of statutory guidance and ““having regard to””—this is based on my education days, ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c229GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 126:"Page 72, line 3, leave out ““(except subsection (5))””" On Question, amend...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c229GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 129:"Page 72, line 4, after ““14”” insert ““(except subsection (3)(a))””" On Qu...
Lord Tyler | 680 c218-20GC (Link to this contribution) I strongly support my noble friend Lord Goodhart in this set of amendments. I do not think that I ne...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c220-1GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for this debate. I reconfirm the approach that the Government will take, both in terms...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c220GC (Link to this contribution) We appear to be not declaring interests. I think I shall not declare an interest apart from the usua...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c214-5GC (Link to this contribution) I understand why the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, must be deeply frustrated on this matter....
Lord Rennard | 680 c201GC (Link to this contribution) This amendment does not go as far as, say, the legislation in places such as Florida, where Jed Bush...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c202-3GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 115:"Page 52, line 32, leave out paragraph (b)." The noble Baroness said: This ...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c202GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, for his contribution and the Minister for her response. This i...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c207GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 117D:"After Clause 46, insert the following new clause—" ““CHALLENGING ELECTIO...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her reply. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, wit...
Lord Rennard | 680 c211GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her reply. My problem with quantifying the number is that the figure I woul...
Viscount Ullswater | 680 c208GC (Link to this contribution) I advise your Lordships that if this amendment is agreed to, I will be unable to call Amendments Nos...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c199-201GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 114C:"After Clause 38, insert the following new clause—" ““PRISONERS VOTING   ...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c194GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for her response. I understand and accept some of it, such as the fact...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c190-1GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 102A:"Page 42, line 29, at end insert ““, following consultation with and agreem...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c191-2GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her reply, which was very explicit and clear. I am glad that any changes wi...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c189GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for her sensible reply. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendm...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c187GC (Link to this contribution) Indeed, one could argue that for certain elections where you have a fixed date, it would be easier t...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c186GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for the sympathy of the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, about what we are trying to do. Inde...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) Are there various budgets being allocated to local authorities to cover this area?
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c226GC (Link to this contribution) My noble friend just referred to £3,000. I did not quite grasp in what context she was making that r...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c222GC (Link to this contribution) It is not particularly that I feel strongly about it; I feel as strongly about this as about loans. ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c222GC (Link to this contribution) Of course. To be clear, we are not against looking at this at all; I simply do not want to pre-empt ...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c225GC (Link to this contribution) I completely agree with what the noble Lord has said because it was subsections (1) and (2) which ca...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c230GC (Link to this contribution) I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 133 to 136...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c229-30GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 131:"Page 75, line 29, at end insert—" ““(   )   In rule 29 (equipment of poll...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c230GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 132:"Page 79, leave out lines 1 to 9." The noble Lord said: I wonder whether th...
Lord Rennard | 680 c214GC (Link to this contribution) As indicated at Second Reading, I agree with the principle of the amendment. I agree openly, and hav...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) I apologise, but I read past that amendment. What the noble Baroness has said that the amendment wou...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) To help the Minister, I should say that the amendment intends that the Secretary of State would have...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c204-5GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her detailed reply. I think that this issue will probably wrap itself up ev...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c201-2GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to noble Lords for bringing up this important and contentious issue. The noble Barones...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c207GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for that, but I just wish that she had agreed with the proposal now and that it...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c206-7GC (Link to this contribution) We desire always to have secondary legislation on these issues because it enables us to be flexible....
Baroness Hanham | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) I beg the Minister’s pardon, but is she saying that the Electoral Commission will automatically be c...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) I apologise—I shall read exactly what I mean. Clause 42 requires the Secretary of State to consult t...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c205-6GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 117A:"Page 55, line 18, after ““list,”” insert—" ““(   )   a person registers ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c206GC (Link to this contribution) As noble Lords know, under electoral law, EROs are already required to keep records of postal voters...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c210-1GC (Link to this contribution) Again, I am grateful for another interesting debate. We consulted political parties and electoral ad...
Lord Tyler | 680 c209-10GC (Link to this contribution) I strongly endorse what the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, has just said. We can all recall occas...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c184GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 100:"Page 27, line 5, leave out from ““relates”” to end of line 8." On Question...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c197-8GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 114A:"After Clause 38, insert the following new clause—" ““EXTRA PROVISION FOR...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c196GC (Link to this contribution) As the person who invented the supplementary vote system over Christmas one year, perhaps I can expl...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c193-4GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, for setting out what he is seeking to achieve with t...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c190GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. I look forward to the discussions. I beg leave to with...
Lord Rennard | 680 c188GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister. On that basis, I am happy to beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, ...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c189GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 101A:"Page 34, line 38, at end insert ““(as defined in any code of practice prod...
Lord Rennard | 680 c187-8GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 101:"Page 33, line 34, at end insert—" ““(   )   by or on behalf of a register...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c187GC (Link to this contribution) Again, I thank the Minister. As usual she is open-minded and sensible. One way or another I imagine ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c186-7GC (Link to this contribution) It would not. I am grateful that the noble Baroness is enchanted. We were very alive to the difficul...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c187GC (Link to this contribution) I am extremely grateful for the Minister’s reply. Under these circumstances, there is no doubt that ...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c187GC (Link to this contribution) I was just going to ask—I am a little bit out of order here, I am afraid—whether the Minister was go...
Lord Rennard | 680 c185-6GC (Link to this contribution) This is an area on which I agree fundamentally with the principle behind what the Government are try...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c186GC (Link to this contribution) I am enchanted by that reply. What the legislation throws up is, ““Whoop! Shall do this or shall we ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hanningfield, because clearly I am losing the ability to speak...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c227GC (Link to this contribution) I might declare an interest here. Generally, elections are mostly paid for by the people in the area...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c226GC (Link to this contribution) I presume the £3,000 is in addition to other monies.
Lord Goodhart | 680 c222GC (Link to this contribution) Before the Minister sits down, will the amendments to be introduced by the Government deal not only ...
Lord Norton of Louth | 680 c224-5GC (Link to this contribution) I rise to speak to my two amendments—Amendments Nos. 120 and 121—which I think complement nicely the...
Lord Norton of Louth | 680 c228GC (Link to this contribution) Not much. I speak as something of a walking expert on the topic, having listened to debates in the H...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c228GC (Link to this contribution) My approach to Committee on every Bill is that I will look at everything that we discuss again, exce...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c228GC (Link to this contribution) I wonder whether my noble friend might take the issue back to departmental officials to see whether ...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c215-8GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 119B:"After Clause 55, insert the following new clause—" ““DEFINITION OF DONAT...
Lord Campbell-Savours | 680 c211-2GC (Link to this contribution) In subsection (2)(c) there are the words ““is obscene or offensive””. Does my noble friend know wher...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c212GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my noble friend for speaking long enough to ensure that I have the answer to the qu...
Lord Beaumont of Whitley | 680 c215GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her response and the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, for his comments. The point ...
Lord Norton of Louth | 680 c205GC (Link to this contribution) I draw attention to the fact that the group includes Amendment No. 117, to which my noble friend has...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c203-4GC (Link to this contribution) We had quite an interesting debate, not far from this subject, on the amendments of the noble Lord, ...
Lord Rennard | 680 c203GC (Link to this contribution) We have had a number of debates about the commercial sale of the electoral register and most of the ...
Lord Rennard | 680 c206GC (Link to this contribution) Party organisers in all parties will very much welcome this proposal, as it will aid the conduct of ...
Lord Norton of Louth | 680 c209GC (Link to this contribution) I rise to speak to my amendment in this group. The noble Lord, Lord Rennard, has given a trailer for...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c207GC (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for that answer, which we will read carefully. I beg leave to withdraw the amen...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c183-4GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 99:"Page 27, line 2, at end insert ““, or””" The noble Baroness said: Before I ...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c184GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 100A:"Page 32, line 17, leave out subsection (6)." The noble Baroness said: As ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c198-9GC (Link to this contribution) This is an important issue. Of course, the idea behind postal votes is that people post them. That i...
Lord Rennard | 680 c198GC (Link to this contribution) I cannot see how this principle can be anything other than sensible—a postal voter should be able to...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c197GC (Link to this contribution) I can see that, but we as politicians all know that, when one is considering the date for elections,...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c196-7GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my noble friend for that clarification. It refers back to the discussion that we ha...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c192-3GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 103:"Page 45, line 8, leave out ““may”” and insert ““shall””" The noble Lord sa...
Lord Hanningfield | 680 c195GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 114ZA:"After Clause 37, insert the following new clause—" ““SIMPLIFICATION OF ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c196GC (Link to this contribution) I dug out the speech that I gave in the debate last year which was led by my noble friend Lord Lipse...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c190GC (Link to this contribution) I am happy to include this in our discussions. The noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, has made a very valid ...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c189-90GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 101C:"After Clause 31, insert the following new clause—" ““REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN...
Lord Goodhart | 680 c190GC (Link to this contribution) I understand what the noble Baroness is after in this amendment and it has some force. First, it is ...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c189GC (Link to this contribution) I agree that it is important for the Electoral Commission, either through guidance or its code of pr...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c188GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Rennard. We have had the opportunity to talk about this amendm...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c185GC (Link to this contribution) moved Amendment No. 100B:"Page 33, line 13, leave out ““of four months ending with”” and insert ““fr...
Baroness Ashton of Upholland | 680 c184GC (Link to this contribution) Indeed, this is an unusual step, in that it is retrospective. I briefly remind noble Lords that it w...
Baroness Hanham | 680 c184-5GC (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for that explanation. In the light of what she said, I do not intend t...

Subjects

Access
Disability
Data protection
Codes of practice
Constituencies
Candidates
Administration
Absent voting
Costs
Design
Campaigns
Fraud
Finance
Elections
Electorate
Eligibility
Donors
Expenditure
Information
Documents
Electoral Commission
Electoral register
Languages
Electoral systems
Prisoners
Political parties
Referendums
Loans
Polling stations
Standards
Voting behaviour
Voting rights
Returning officers
Timetables
Ballot papers

Legislation

Electoral Administration Bill 2005-06

Link

View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk
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