Representation of the People Bill - continued        House of Commons

back to previous text
 
 
 

 
 
 
SCHEDULE 5
 
  MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS
 
City of London (Various Powers) Act 1957 (c. x)
     1. - (1) Section 8 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1957 (manner of voting at ward elections) is amended as follows.
 
      (2) In subsection (1) (application of provisions of 1983 Act), after the entry relating to section 3 of the 1983 Act insert-
 
 
  " section 3A (disfranchisement of offenders detained in mental hospitals);".
      (3) In subsection (2) (application of provisions about absent voting), for "sections 5 to 9 and 12(3) and (4) of the Representation of the People Act 1985" substitute "Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000".
 
      (4) In subsections (4) and (5) (supplementary provisions), for "1985" (wherever occurring) substitute "2000".
 
 
European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 (c. 10)
     2. - (1) Paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 (electoral regions in England) is amended as follows.
 
      (2) In sub-paragraph (1) (Secretary of State to consider after 16th February in each pre-election year whether ratio of registered electors to MEPs is the same in each region), for "16th February" substitute "1st May".
 
      (3) In sub-paragraph (3) (numbers of registered electors to be considered by Secretary of State as at 16th February), for "16th February" substitute "1st May".
 
      (4) After sub-paragraph (5) insert-
 
 
    "(5A) Each registration officer shall notify the Secretary of State, by 28th May in each pre-election year, of the number of persons whose names appear, on 1st May in that year, in any relevant register maintained by the registration officer (other than persons falling within paragraphs (a) and (b) of sub-paragraph (4))."
 
 
The 1983 Act
     3. The 1983 Act is amended as follows.
 
     4. In section 29(4C) (orders governing charges by returning officers), at the end add "; and any such order may make different provision for different cases, circumstances or areas and may contain such incidental, supplemental, saving or transitional provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit."
 
     5. After section 65 insert-
 
 
"False statements in nomination papers etc.     65A. A person is guilty of a corrupt practice if, in the case of-
 
    (a) any parliamentary election, or
 
    (b) any local government election in England or Wales,
  he causes or permits to be included in a document delivered or otherwise furnished to a returning officer for use in connection with the election a statement of the name or home address of a candidate at the election which he knows to be false in any particular."
 
     6. In section 95(7) (schools for parliamentary election meetings not to include private dwelling house), omit "house".
 
     7. In section 108(4) (premises not to be used as committee rooms), omit "house".
 
     8. In section 202(1) (general interpretation)-
 
 
    (a) in the definition of "the absent voters list", after "kept under" insert "paragraph 5 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or, as respects Northern Ireland, under"; and
 
    (b) in the definition of "the list of proxies", after "given by" insert "paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or, as respects Northern Ireland, by".
     9. - (1) Schedule 1 (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows.
 
      (2) In rule 5(2) (notice of election to state date by which applications for postal votes etc. are to be made), after "by which" insert "(except in such circumstances as may be prescribed)".
 
      (3) For rule 24 substitute-
 
 
  " 24. The returning officer shall, in accordance with regulations, issue to those entitled to vote by post a ballot paper and a declaration of identity in the prescribed form, together with such envelopes for their return (whether free of charge or otherwise) as may be prescribed."
 
      (4) In rule 45 (the count)-
 
 
    (a) after paragraph (1A) insert-
 
    "(1B) A postal ballot paper shall not, in England, Wales or Scotland, be taken to be duly returned unless-
 
 
    (a) it is returned in the prescribed manner and reaches the returning officer or a polling station in the constituency before the close of the poll, and
 
    (b) the declaration of identity, duly signed and authenticated, is also returned in the prescribed manner and reaches him or such a polling station before that time."; and
 
    (b) in paragraph (2), after "shall not" insert ", in Northern Ireland,".
     10. - (1) Schedule 2 (provisions which may be contained in regulations as to registration) is amended as follows.
 
      (2) In paragraph 5A (applications for postal voting etc.)-
 
 
    (a) in sub-paragraph (1), after "applications under" insert "paragraph 3 or 4 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or";
 
    (b) in sub-paragraph (2), after "applying under" insert "paragraph 4 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or"; and
 
    (c) in sub-paragraph (4), after "kept under" insert "paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or".
      (3) In paragraph 12 (voting by post), for the words from "the proceedings" to "and provisions" substitute "the arrangements to be made in relation to the issue and receipt of, and for subsequently dealing with, ballot papers for postal voting, including provisions-
 
 
    (a) authorising replacement ballot papers to be issued in any prescribed circumstances;
 
    (b) as to the proceedings in connection with the issue and receipt of ballot papers and, in particular-
 
      (i) the persons who are to be entitled, or may be allowed, to attend, and
 
      (ii) the rights and obligations of persons attending;
 
    (c) ".
      (4) In paragraph 13(1) (offences)-
 
 
    (a) for the words from "imposing" to "convicted- " substitute "making it an offence (punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale) for a person- "; and
 
    (b) for "of having" (in both places) substitute "to have".
 
Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50)
     11. The Representation of the People Act 1985 is amended as follows (but paragraphs 12 and 13 have effect in relation to Northern Ireland only).
 
     12. In section 5 (manner of voting), after subsection (5) insert-
 
 
    "(5A) Nothing in the preceding provisions of this section applies to-
 
 
    (a) a person to whom section 7 of the principal Act (mental patients who are not detained offenders) applies and who is liable, by virtue of any enactment, to be detained in the mental hospital in question, or
 
    (b) a person to whom section 7A of that Act (persons remanded in custody) applies,
  whether he is registered by virtue of that provision or not; and such a person may only vote by post or by proxy (where he is entitled as an elector to vote by post or, as the case may be, by proxy at the election)."
 
     13. In section 6(4)(b) (absent votes: removal of person from record), after "in pursuance of" insert "a declaration of local connection or".
 
     14. In section 27(2) (application of provisions of 1983 Act)-
 
 
    (a) for "sections 5, 6 and 7(1)" substitute "sections 5 to 7A"; and
 
    (b) for "sections 1 and 2" substitute "section 4".
 
Finance Act 1996 (c. 8)
     15. In section 200 of the Finance Act 1996 (domicile for tax purposes of overseas electors), in subsection (3)(a), for the words from "mentioned in" to "section 1" substitute "of parliamentary electors in pursuance of such a declaration as is mentioned in section 1(1)(a)".
 
 
previous section contents continue
 
House of Commons home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 2000
Prepared 14 January 2000