S.C.B.
Amendment Paper as at
Tuesday 4th November 2003
STANDING COMMITTEE B
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY AND LOCAL ELECTIONS (PILOTS) BILL
NOTE
The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the Committee [30th October].
Clause No. 2 (Pilot order).
3
Another Amendment (No. 3) proposed, in page 2, line 13, to leave out from the word 'poll)' to the end of line 14.—(Mr Nick Hawkins.)
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
4
Clause 2, page 2, line 14, at end insert—
'(3A) Before including in a pilot order
provisions for voting at places other than polling stations, the Secretary of State must consult all affected local authorities, and must not make such an order about a place in a local authority area if the local authority affected objects to it.'.
Sir Teddy Taylor
44
Clause 2, page 2, line 14, at end insert—
'(3A) The pilot order must make provision
for the ballot paper to give electors an opportunity to demonstrate that they do not wish to vote for any party or candidate.'
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
49
Clause 2, page 2, line 14, at end insert—
'(3A) The pilot order may make additional
provisions for the conduct of an election to which section 1 applies for the purposes of preventing electoral fraud or malpractice.'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
50
Clause 2, page 2, line 14, at end insert—
'(3B) If the pilot order makes provision
for voting to take place on more than one day under subsection (3)(a), the Secretary of State must also make an order requiring a register to be available to candidates in the election and their agents at the end of each day showing those electors who have at that time voted in the election.'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
52
Clause 2, page 2, line 14, at end insert—
'(3C) The pilot order must make provision to ensure
that those with disabilities are able to exercise their vote independently and in secret.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
5
Clause 2, page 2, line 22, after 'area', insert 'within 14 days'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
24
Clause 2, page 2, line 22, leave out from 'area' to end and
insert 'so as to provide the maximum amount of information in the simplest form possible to electors, especially the elderly and the disabled, and to ensure that all electors are made aware that they can choose to vote in the traditional way in a ballot box at a location convenient to them (which local authorities and returning officers shall be under a duty to make available) on the main polling day for the relevant election nationally, if they wish to do so.'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
51
Clause 2, page 2, line 22, at end insert ', and must ensure that the order is
made available in a form accessible to those with disabilities.'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
53
Page 2, line 25, leave out Clause 3.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
6
Clause 4, page 2, line 36, at end insert—
| '(c) | the impact of the pilot scheme on the campaigns of the candidates and on the political parties.'. |
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
25
Clause 4, page 2, line 37, leave out 'such relevant' and insert 'all'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
54
Clause 4, page 2, line 37, leave out 'such' and insert 'all'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
26
Clause 4, page 2, line 38, leave out 'as they consider appropriate'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
55
Clause 4, page 2, line 38, leave out 'they consider' and insert 'it considers'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
7
Clause 4, page 3, line 1, leave out 'relevant'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
27
Clause 4, page 3, line 3, at end insert 'provided that the Secretary of State
has provided, to all local authorities in all regions affected, funding amounting to the total costs incurred by each local authority in implementing this legislation and all other Acts and orders relating to pilots.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
8
Clause 4, page 3, line 5, after 'for', insert 'independently'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
28
Clause 4, page 3, line 7, after 'Commission', insert 'and to the police'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
57
Clause 4, page 3, line 8, at end insert—
| '(c) | making arrangements for the |
inspection of ballot papers or electronic voting to ascertain whether there if evidence (even where no allegation has been made to that effect) of personation or other electoral offences or malpractice.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
29
Clause 4, page 3, line 9, at end insert 'and full details of the responses of
local authorities both under paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (4) and generally.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
30
Clause 4, page 3, line 10, after 'an', insert 'independent'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
31
Clause 4, page 3, line 12, after 'facilitated', insert 'or did not facilitate'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
32
Clause 4, page 3, line 13, after 'encouraged', insert 'or discouraged'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
33
Clause 4, page 3, line 16, after 'assisted', insert 'or hampered'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
58
Clause 4, page 3, line 18, at end insert—
| '(f) | facilitated voting for those with disabilities, having consulted such organisations or individuals representing disabled people as the Commission considers appropriate.'. |
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
34
Clause 4, page 3, line 19, leave out 'a statement' and insert 'statements'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
35
Clause 4, page 3, line 19, after 'Commission', insert ', all the local authorities in the areas affected by any pilots and all the national political parties contesting the elections'.
Mr David Heath
Annette Brooke
56
Clause 4, page 3, line 20, leave out 'their' and insert 'its'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
9
Clause 4, page 3, line 22, at end insert—
'(7A) The report must include a statement by the Commission of the views of the candidates and the political parties on the conduct of the election and on the impact of the pilot scheme on the turnout and result.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
36
Clause 4, page 3, line 22, at end insert—
'(7A) The assessment must also include any other published reports which are relevant to the matters listed in subsection (7).'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
37
Clause 4, page 3, line 27, leave out from 'report' to end and insert 'in a timely manner'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
38
Clause 4, page 3, line 27, at end insert—
'(8A) The Secretary of State must publish
a response to the report within three months and must place a copy of the report in the Library of each House of Parliament. The report must be debated in each House not more than one month after it is published.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
10
Clause 6, page 4, line 16, at end add—
'(4) A person convicted of an
offence referred to in this section shall, in addition to any other penalty imposed by a court, be disqualified from voting in any election in the United Kingdom for a period of ten years.'.
Mr William Cash
Mr Nick Hawkins
Mr David Wilshire
12
Schedule, page 7, line 3, leave out paragraph 1.
