European Union (Referendum) Bill (HC Bill 11)
A
BILL
TO
Make provision for the holding of a referendum in the United Kingdom on the
United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union
(1)
A referendum is to be held on the United Kingdom’s membership of the
European Union.
(2) The referendum must be held before 31 December 2017.
(3)
5The Secretary of State shall by order, and before 31 December 2016, appoint the
day on which the referendum is to be held.
(4) The question that is to appear on the ballot papers is—
| “Do you think that the United Kingdom should be a member of the European Union?” |
(5)
10In Wales, a Welsh version of the question is also to appear on the ballot papers,
as provided by order.
(6)
An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument and may not
be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a
resolution of, each House of Parliament.
2 15Entitlement to vote in the referendum
Those entitled to vote in the referendum are—
(a)
the persons who, on the date of the referendum, would be entitled to
vote as electors at a parliamentary election in any constituency, and
(b)
the persons who, on that date, are disqualified by reason of being peers
20from voting as electors at parliamentary elections.
European Union (Referendum) BillPage 2
3 Conduct of the referendum and further provisions
(1)
The Electoral Commission shall publish a report setting out its
recommendations for the rules in accordance with which the referendum is to
be conducted, further provisions about the referendum and the application to
5the referendum of provisions relevant to elections.
(2)
The Secretary of State, having regard to the report under subsection (1), shall
by order provide for the rules in accordance with which the referendum is to
be conducted.
(3)
The Secretary of State may by order give effect to further provisions about the
10referendum and the application to the referendum of provisions relevant to
elections as recommended by the Electoral Commission.
(4)
An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument and may not
be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before, and approved by a
resolution of, each House of Parliament.
4 15Expenditure
There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—
(a) any expenditure of the Secretary of State in consequence of this Act, and
(b)
any increase attributable to this Act in the sums which under any other Act
are payable out of money so provided.
5 20Short title
This Act may be cited as the European Union (Referendum) Act 2013.