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Lords Amendments
1.--(1) Proceedings on Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill shall be completed at today's sitting and, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion at midnight.
(2) Proceedings on Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Disqualifications Bill shall be completed in one allotted day and, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion three hours after their commencement.
2.--(1) This paragraph applies for the purpose of bringing proceedings on either Bill to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 1.
(2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any Question which has been proposed from the Chair and not yet decided.
(3) If that Question is for the amendment of a Lords Amendment, the Speaker shall then put forthwith--
(a) a single Question on any further Amendments of the Lords Amendment moved by a Minister of the Crown, and
(b) the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House agrees or disagrees with the Lords in their Amendment or (as the case may be) in their Amendment as amended.
(4) The Speaker shall then put forthwith--
(a) a single Question on any Amendments moved by a Minister of the Crown to a Lords Amendment, and
(b) the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House agrees or disagrees with the Lords in their Amendment or (as the case may be) in their Amendment as amended.
(5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House disagrees with the Lords in a Lords Amendment.
(6) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question that this House agrees with the Lords in all the remaining Lords Amendments.
(7) As soon as the House has--
(a) agreed or disagreed with the Lords in any of their Amendments, or
(b) disposed of an Amendment relevant to a Lords Amendment which has been disagreed to,
the Speaker shall put forthwith a single Question on any Amendments moved by a Minister of the Crown relevant to the Lords Amendment.
Subsequent stages
3.--(1) The Speaker shall put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown for the consideration forthwith of any further Message from the Lords on either Bill.
(2) The proceedings on any further Message from the Lords shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.
4.--(1) This paragraph applies for the purpose of bringing proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 3.
(2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any Question which has been proposed from the Chair and not yet decided.
(3) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown which is related to the Question already proposed from the Chair.
(4) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown on or relevant to any of the remaining items in the Lords Message.
(5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question that this House agrees with the Lords in all the remaining Lords Proposals.
Reasons Committee
5.--(1) This paragraph applies to any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown, in relation to either Bill, for the appointment, nomination and quorum of a Committee to draw up Reasons and the appointment of its Chairman.
(2) The Speaker shall put forthwith the Question on the Motion.
(3) The Committee shall report before the conclusion of the sitting at which it is appointed.
(4) Proceedings in the Committee shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion 30 minutes after their commencement.
(5) For the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with sub-paragraph (4), the Chairman shall--
(a) first put forthwith any Question which has been proposed from the Chair and not yet decided, and
(b) then put forthwith successively Questions on Motions which may be made by a Minister of the Crown for assigning a Reason for disagreeing with the Lords in any of their Amendments.
(6) The proceedings of the Committee shall be reported without any further Question being put.
Miscellaneous
6.--(1) The following paragraphs apply to--
(a) proceedings on Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill,
(b) proceedings on Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Disqualifications Bill,
(c) proceedings on any further Message from the Lords on either Bill, and
(d) proceedings on the appointment, nomination and quorum of a Committee to draw up Reasons (and the appointment of its Chairman) and the Report of such a Committee.
7. Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to the proceedings.
8. The proceedings shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House.
9. No dilatory Motion with respect to, or in the course of, the proceedings shall be made except by a Minister of the Crown; and the Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.
10.--(1) If on a day on which any of the proceedings take place a Motion for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) would stand over to Seven o'clock--
(a) that Motion stands over until the conclusion of any of the proceedings which are to be brought to a conclusion at or before that time, and
(b) the bringing to a conclusion of any of the proceedings which are to be brought to a conclusion after that time is postponed for a period of time equal to the duration of the proceedings on that Motion.
(2) If a Motion for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 stands over from an earlier day to such a day, the bringing to a conclusion of any of the proceedings on that day is postponed for a period of time equal to the duration of the proceedings on that Motion.
11. If the House is adjourned, or the sitting is suspended, before the expiry of the period at the end of which any of the proceedings are to be brought to a conclusion under this Order, no notice shall be required of a Motion made at the next sitting by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order.
The allotted day
12. In this Order, "allotted day" means any day on which the Disqualifications Bill is put down on the main business as first Government Order of the Day.
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill
7.58 pm
Madam Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Sylvia Heal): I draw the House's attention to the fact that privilege is involved in Lords amendments Nos. 19, 71, 130, 359 to 361 and 637, which are to be considered today. If the House agrees to any of those Lords amendments, I shall ensure that the appropriate entry is made in the Journal.
Clause 3
Lords amendment: No. 1, in page 2, line 46, at end insert--
("(3A) A person may not be appointed as an Electoral Commissioner if the person--
(a) is a member of a registered party;
(b) is an officer or employee of a registered party or of any accounting unit of such a party;
(c) holds a relevant elective office (within the meaning of Schedule 6); or
(d) has at any time within the last ten years--
(i) been such an officer or employee as is mentioned in paragraph (b), or
(ii) held such an office as is mentioned in paragraph (c), or
(iii) been named as a donor in the register of donations reported under Chapter III or IV of Part IV.")
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien): I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
Madam Deputy Speaker: With this it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 2, 3, 12, 357 to 368, 370 and amendments (a) and (b) thereto, 371, 372 and amendments (a) and (b) thereto, and 373.
Mr. O'Brien: The amendments are designed to strengthen the independence of the Electoral Commission. Given the commission's wide responsibilities, including, in particular, for the controls on parties' income and expenditure, it is imperative that it should be seen to be scrupulously independent of the Government of the day and of political parties.
No electoral commissioner should have had a high-profile association with a particular party. The amendments will therefore bar from appointment anyone who is a member of a registered party; has, in the past 10 years, been an officer or employee of a registered party; has held a relevant elective office; or has been a donor to a registered party. Amendments will be made to schedule 1 to ensure that the restrictions will also apply to deputy and assistant electoral commissioners and, save in one respect, the staff of the commission.
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