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'shall himself act as Counting Officer for electors registered in the central register established under Schedule [Central Register of electors for referendums (Scotland)] and shall also set up and maintain that register.'.
No. 13, in page 2, line 3, leave out 'Scotland' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 191, in page 2, line 3, at end add
No. 15, in clause 2, page 2, line 5, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 141, in page 2, line 10, leave out 'the persons' and insert 'those United Kingdom citizens'
No. 17, in page 2, line 10, leave out 'persons' and insert
No. 160, in page 2, line 10, at end insert
No. 18, in page 2, line 11, leave out from 'at' to end of line 12 and insert
No. 239, in page 2, line 11, leave out from 'at' to 'in' in line 12 and insert 'a parliamentary election'.
No. 84, in page 2, line 11, leave out
and insert 'a general election'.
No. 217, in page 2, line 12, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 85, in page 2, line 12, at end insert
No. 161, in page 2, line 12, at end insert
No. 226, in page 2, line 12, at end insert
No. 237, in page 2, line 12, at end insert
No. 139, in page 2, leave out lines 13 to 25.
No. 218, in page 2, line 14, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 21, in page 2, line 16, leave out
and insert
No. 165, in page 2, line 16, leave out 'county or county borough' and insert 'parliamentary constituency'.
No. 219, in page 2, line 16, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 164, in page 2, line 16, at end insert
No. 25, in page 2, line 26, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
No. 28, in clause 3, page 2, line 40, leave out
and insert
New clause 11--Counting--
Amendment No. 132, in schedule 1, page 4, line 2, leave out 'IN SCOTLAND'.
Amendment No. 34, in page 4, line 5, leave out 'Scotland' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
Amendment No. 35, in page 4, line 15, leave out 'Scotland' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
Amendment No. 133, in schedule 2, page 5, line 2, leave out 'IN WALES'.
Amendment No. 36, in page 5, line 3, leave out 'Wales' and insert 'the United Kingdom'.
New schedule 2--Central register of electors for referendums (Scotland)--
New schedule 3--Central register of electors for referendums (Wales)--
Amendment No. 37, in title, line 1, leave out 'in Scotland'.
Amendment No. 38, in line 3, leave out 'in Wales'.
Mr. Cash:
We are debating a first-class but a third-rate constitutional Bill which is being treated in an unprecedented manner; and we have been debating not so much a guillotine motion as a lethal injection.
The Leader of the House said that it was not a constitutional Bill--a statement which should in itself disqualify her from that office. The Bill is a constitutional Bill--a major constitutional Bill. Moreover, it includes tax-varying powers that go to the very heart of the sovereignty and integrity of Parliament. As hon. Members
have already said, debate on previous constitutional Bills has lasted for as long as 30 days, whereas we will be given as few as one or two days to debate this measure.
We are debating a Bill which has been conceived in a cuckoo's nest of a Cabinet that is controlled by a Scots cabal of Ministers of the Crown, representing the biggest takeover of the United Kingdom since the Union, in 1603, of the Crowns of Scotland and England. A quarter of all Ministers are Scots--19 of the 89 Ministers are Scots. I mentioned a Scots cabal, and I should explain that I define "cabal" as something representing conceit, arrogance, bombast, aggression and lies.
The plain fact is that the Bill represents the views that were expressed by the Prime Minister in the general election campaign and in the Labour party manifesto. However, his euphoria will be dashed--as was that of the Stuarts, in 1649, when Charles I lost his head because of his folly and his arrogance. It is worth remembering that, in its title, the Bill is a successor to the 1979 devolution legislation, which led to the fall of the Callaghan Government. It has been well said that, eventually, they shall reap as they have sown.
The Bill is a part of a policy that is inside out and upside down, with principles on the outside and precedents on the downside. It is an outrage that the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Bill precedes the White Paper and the devolution Bill itself, and it is a deceit to say that it stands on its own. Even in 1975, Harold Wilson insisted on a White Paper before introducing legislation on a European referendum.
'and for each Parliamentary constituency publicly at the end of each count.'.
'citizens of the United Kingdom'.
'are included in a central register established under Schedule [Central Register of electors for referendums (Wales)] or who'.
'a local government election in any electoral area in the United Kingdom'.
'an election for a county council or county borough council'
'and those citizens of the United Kingdom who would be entitled to vote in a general election in any electoral area of the United Kingdom, who were born in Wales.'.
'except that citizens of the European Union who are not also British citizens shall not be entitled to vote.'.
'who have been registered as local government electors on any Welsh local government register for the past five years or since they were 18, whichever be the shorter period'.
'or have been entitled to vote as electors at a local government election in any electoral area in Wales in the previous twenty years'.
'county or county borough in Wales'
'local government area in the United Kingdom'.
'and shall himself act as Counting Officer for electors registered in the central register established under Schedule [Central Register of electors for referendums (Wales)] and shall also set up and maintain that register.'.
'county or county borough in Wales'
'local government area in the United Kingdom'.
'--(1) The Secretary of State shall appoint a Chief Counting Officer for the United Kingdom.
(2) The Chief Counting Officer shall appoint a Counting Officer for each local government area in the United Kingdom.
(3) Each Counting Officer shall--
(a) conduct the counting of votes in the area for which he is appointed in accordance with any directions given by the Chief Counting Officer, and
(b) certify the number of ballot papers counted by him and the number of votes cast for each proposition.
(4) The Chief Counting Officer shall certify the total of--
(a) the ballot papers counted, and
(b) the votes cast for each proposition
for the whole of the United Kingdom.'
A central register of electors shall be set up and maintained for electors only eligible to vote in the referendums. It shall be open to any person in the following categories to be included in that register up to thirty days before the date of any referendum.
Such persons may vote by post, by proxy or in person at polling stations provided specifically for the purpose in such centres as the counting officers deem necessary. Persons eligible to be included on the central register are:
(i) persons who are resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland but who could claim a vote in Scotland by reason of their previous residence there were they living outside the United Kingdom under the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts;
(ii) persons who, under the provisions of the Immigration Acts could claim British citizenship by descent where that claim derives from a father or mother whose place of birth, naturalisation or residence is in Scotland;
(iii) persons born in Scotland but living elsewhere in the United Kingdom;
(iv) persons not born in Scotland but who have lived in Scotland for more than ten years and now live elsewhere in the United Kingdom and who sign an affidavit that it is their firm intention to return to Scotland to live permanently;
(v) persons owning residential property in Scotland but not being on a local government electoral register who sign an affidavit that it is their firm intention to return to Scotland to live permanently.'.
A central register of electors shall be set up and maintained for electors only eligible to vote in the referendums. It shall be open to any person in the following categories to be included in that register up to thirty days before the date of any referendum.
Such persons may vote by post, by proxy or in person at polling stations provided specifically for the purpose in such centres as the counting officers deem necessary. Persons eligible to be included on the central register are:
(i) persons who are resident in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland but who could claim a vote in Wales by reason of their previous residence there were they living outside the United Kingdom under the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts;
(ii) persons who, under the provisions of the Immigration Acts could claim British citizenship by descent where that claim derives from a father or mother whose place of birth, naturalisation or residence is in Wales;
(iii) persons born in Wales but living elsewhere in the United Kingdom;
(iv) persons not born in Wales but who have lived in Wales for more than ten years and now live elsewhere in the United Kingdom and who sign an affidavit that it is their firm intention to return to Wales to live permanently;
(v) persons owning residential property in Wales but not being on a local government electoral register who sign an affidavit that it is their firm intention to return to Wales to live permanently.'.
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