S.C.C.
NOTICES OF AMENDMENTS
given up to and including
Friday 30th April 1999
STANDING COMMITTEE C
REFERENDUMS BILL
Mr Andrew Miller
Mr Gerald Bermingham
1
Clause 1, page 1, line 8, leave out 'four' and insert 'eight'.
Mr Andrew Miller
Mr Gerald Bermingham
2
Clause 1, page 1, page 10, leave out 'a Justice of the High Court' and insert 'appointed by the Secretary of State'.
Dr Nick Palmer
4
Clause 1, page 1, line 16, leave out from 'on' to 'matters' in line 18 and insert 'any'.
Dr Nick Palmer
5
Clause 2, page 1, line 23, leave out 'introduction to' and insert 'Second Reading in'.
Dr Nick Palmer
6
Clause 2, page 2, line 1, leave out 'one individual or body' and insert 'one or more individuals or bodies'.
Dr Nick Palmer
7
Clause 2, page 2, line 8, at end add—
'(3) The Commission shall, for the campaign for each possible outcome, decide upon an appropriate share of any public support or broadcast coverage for each individual or body supporting that outcome, taking into account the considerations in subsection (2)(a)-(d).'.
Dr Nick Palmer
8
Clause 3, page 2, line 17, after 'keep', insert 'and agree to publish within 6 weeks of the holding of the referendum'.
Mr Andrew Miller
Mr Gerald Bermingham
3
Clause 3, page 2, leave out lines 22 to 43.
Dr Nick Palmer
9
Clause 3, page 2, leave out lines 34 to 37.
Dr Nick Palmer
10
Clause 4, page 2, line 47, leave out from 'shall' to 'on' in page 3, line 1 and insert 'consult the Commission'.
Mr Nick Palmer
11
Clause 4, page 3, leave out lines 7 and 8.
NEW CLAUSES
Regulations
Mr Andrew Miller
Mr Gerald Bermingham
NC1
To move the following Clause:—
'The Secretary of State shall by 1st January 2000 publish regulations defining—
(a) the scope of referendums;
(b) the rights of interested parties to make representations to the commission;
(c) the timing of referendums.'.
Commencement
Mr Andrew Miller
Mr Gerald Bermingham
NC2
To move the following Clause:—
'This Act shall come into force on 1st January 2001.'.
Campaign statements
Dr Nick Palmer
NC3
To move the following Clause:—
'.—(1) The Minister in charge of the proposed provision shall invite each of the designated referendum campaigns to submit a statement of a number of words to be specified by the Minister, putting the case for their preferred outcome.
(2) The total space allocated to each campaign shall be identical, with space allocated to individuals or bodies within that campaign according to the share decided upon by the Commission.
(3) The Minister may seek to have passages amended if he considers them untrue or believes that their publication would be unlawful and if the authors of the sections are not willing to revise the disputed passages, the question will be referred to the Commission for final decision.
(4) All the statements made shall be published by the Minister in charge, with an introduction stating the Government's view in no more than half of the total number of words allocated to each campaign, and shall be sent to every household with one or more individuals entitled to vote in the referendum.
(5) In this section "Minister in charge of the proposed provision" means
(a) in relation to provision proposed to be made by Act of Parliament, the Minister of the Crown in charge of the Bill for that Act in that House of Parliament in which the Bill is first introduced; and
(b) in relation to provision proposed to be made by subordinate legislation, the Minister of the Crown authorised by the parent Act of Parliament to make that subordinate legislation.'.
