Amendments proposed to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill - continued	House of Commons
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Mr David Maclean

42

*Clause     11,     page     8,     line     12,     at end insert—

    '( ) Any promotion of public awareness of electoral systems or systems of government under subsection (1) shall relate only to the electoral system that will be used at a particular election or the system of government to which the election is related, and shall not contain any material relating to alternative electoral systems or systems of government.'.

   

Sir George Young
Sir Patrick Cormack
Mr Dominic Grieve
Mr Robert Walter

34

*Clause     11,     page     8,     line     14,     after 'Scotland', insert 'except with the consent of the Scottish Parliament'.

   

Sir George Young
Sir Patrick Cormack
Mr Dominic Grieve
Mr Robert Walter

31

*Clause     11,     page     8,     leave out lines 22 to 26.

   

Sir George Young
Sir Patrick Cormack
Mr Dominic Grieve
Mr Robert Walter

32

*Clause     11,     page     8,     line     28,     leave out '(whether by making grants or otherwise)'.

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Sir George Young
Sir Patrick Cormack
Mr Dominic Grieve
Mr Robert Walter

36

*Clause     95,     page     60,     line     37,     leave out from 'Ireland' to end of line 39.

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Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Eric Forth

14

*Clause     98,     page     62,     line     7,     after 'Commission', insert ', but "permitted participant" shall not include any institution of the European Union.'.

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Mr Andrew Stunell
Mr Malcolm Bruce

13

*Clause     102,     page     64,     line     28,     at end insert—

    '(5A) In making any designation of a permitted participant under section 101(2) or (4) the Commission shall have regard to

(i) the separate levels of support for each of the permitted participants which have given notice under section 99(1)(b) or section 99(3)(b) that they propose to campaign for the same outcome, and

(ii) evidence submitted to it by any permitted participants relating to their principal reasons for campaigning for that outcome.

    (5B) Where the Commission is satisfied that more than one permitted participant has demonstrated

(a) substantial support, and

(b) a distinct "principal reason" for campaigning for the same outcome, and that it would be unreasonable to refuse designation under section 101(1), it may designate 2 or more permitted participants for assistance under section 103.

    (5C) Where the Commission makes any designation under subsesction (5C) above, they shall make such an apportionment of eligibility for assistance between the designated permitted participants as they think fit.'.

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Mr Andrew Stunell
Mr Malcolm Bruce

12

*Clause     103,     page     64,     line     40,     at end insert—

    '(2A) Where more than one designation has been made under section 102(5B), that amount shall be apportioned in accordance with section 102(5C).'.

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Mr Secretary Straw
Mr Andrew Stunell
Mr Malcolm Bruce

8

Clause     108,     page     67,     line     30,     leave out '30' and insert '42'.

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Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Eric Forth

15

*Schedule     14,     page     149,     line     42,     at end insert 'or—

(c) the source of the donation to a European Union institution.'.

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Mr Andrew Robathan
Mr Eric Forth

16

*Clause     118,     page     73,     line     2,     at end insert 'or—

(c) any European Union institution or foreign government.'.

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NEW CLAUSES RELATING TO PART VII

Chief counting officers, and counting officers, for referendums

   

Mr Secretary Straw

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

'Chapter IV

Conduct of referendums

    .—(1) This section has effect in relation to any referendum to which this Part applies.

    (2) There shall be a Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, who (subject to subsection (8)) shall be—

(a) the chairman of the Commission, or

(b) if the chairman of the Commission appoints some other person to act as Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, the person so appointed.

    (3) The Chief Counting Officer for the referendum shall appoint a counting officer for each relevant area in Great Britain.

    (4) The local authority in the case of each such area shall place the services of their officers at the disposal of the counting officer for the area for the purpose of assisting him in the discharge of his functions.

    (5) Each counting officer shall, as respects the votes cast in the area for which he is appointed, certify—

(a) the number of ballot papers counted by him, and

(b) the number of votes cast in favour of each answer to a question asked in the referendum.

    (6) The Chief Counting Officer shall certify—

(a) the total number of ballot papers counted, and

(b) the total number of votes cast in favour of each answer to a question asked in the referendum,

    in the whole of the referendum area.

    (7) Where two or more forms of ballot paper are used in the referendum, a separate number shall be certified under subsection (5)(a) or (6)(a) in relation to each form of ballot paper so used.

    (8) Where the referendum is held in Northern Ireland, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland—

(a) shall be the Chief Counting Officer for the referendum if it is held only in Northern Ireland, and

(b) in any other case shall be treated, for the purposes of subsection (5), as if he were a counting officer appointed under this section for the whole of Northern Ireland.

    (9) In this section—

(a) "relevant area in Great Britain" means any of the following—

    (i) a district in England or a London borough,

    (ii) the City of London (including the Inner and Middle Temples), the Isle of Wight or the Isles of Scilly,

    (iii) a local government area in Scotland, or

    (iv) a county or county borough in Wales,

where it is comprised in the referendum area;

(b) "the local authority"—

    (i) in the case of an area falling within paragraph (a)(i), (iii) or (iv), means the council for that area, and

    (ii) in the case of an area falling within paragraph (a)(ii), means the Common Council of the City of London, the Council of the Isle of Wight or the Council of the Isles of Scilly, as the case may be;

(c) "the referendum area" means the parts or part of the United Kingdom, or (as the case may be) the region in England, throughout which the referendum is held as mentioned in section 95(1).'.

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Orders regulating conduct of referendums

   

Mr Secretary Straw

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

    '.—(1) The Secretary of State may by order make such provision as he considers expedient for or in connection with regulating the conduct of referendums to which this Part applies.

    (2) An order under this section may, in particular—

(a) make provision for the creation of offences;

(b) apply (with or without modification) any provision of any enactment;

    and different provision may be made under this section in relation to different parts of the United Kingdom.

    (3) An order under this section shall not apply in relation to any referendum in relation to which specific provision is made by any other enactment for or in connection with regulating any matters relating to the conduct of the referendum, except to such extent (if any) as may be provided by that enactment.

    (4) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall consult the Commission.'.

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Transfer to commissions of functions of Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland

   

Sir George Young
Sir Patrick Cormack
Mr Dominic Grieve
Mr Robert Walter

NC3

*To move the following Clause:—

    '.—(1) The Scottish Parliament may by order make provision for the transfer to the Commission of any one or more functions of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland (in this section referred to as "the Scottish Commission").

    (2) The Commission shall make arrangements for functions transferred to them by an order under subsection (1) to be exercised by the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

    (3) Where each of the functions of the Scottish Commission is transferred by an order under subsection (1), the Scottish Parliament may by order make provision for the abolition of the Scottish Commission.

    (4) An order under subsection (1) or (3) may include provision for the transfer to the Commission.

(a) of the staff of the Scottish Commission, and

(b) of any property, rights and liabilities to which the Scottish Commission are entitled or subject;

    and an order which contains provision such as is mentioned in paragraph (b) may in particular provide for the order to have effect despite any provision (of whatever nature) which would prevent or restrict the transfer of the property, rights or liabilities otherwise than by the order.

    (5) An order under subsection (3) may include provision for the abolition of any duty in compliance with which the Scottish Commission was established or constituted.

    (6) An order under this section may contain any appropriate consequential, incidental, supplementary or transitional provisions or savings (including provisions amending, repealing or revoking enactments).

    (7) Any power of the Scottish Parliament to make an order under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

    (8) The expenditure of the Commission, so far as attributable to the exercise of any functions transferred by an order under subsection (1), shall be met by the Scottish Parliament.'.

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Mr Secretary Straw

9

Title,     line     4,     after 'campaigns', insert 'and the conduct of referendums'.

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Prepared 10 Feb 2000