Amendment Paper as at
Tuesday 8th November 2005
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE
ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION BILL
(Clauses Nos. 9 to 18; any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to Part 2 or Part 3 of the Bill; any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the procedure to be followed at an election on the death of a candidate; and any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to candidates standing in more than one constituency at an election.)
NOTE
The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the House of 25th October 2005.
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
14
Clause 9, page 6, line 15, at end insert—
'(1) Each registration officer must take all necessary steps to remove individuals from the electoral register who are no longer eligible to remain on the register once they cease to be eligible.'.
Mr Clive Betts
30
Clause 9, page 6, line 18, at end insert 'and to maximise the number of those entitled to register who do so.'.
Mr David Heath
1
Clause 9, page 6, line 26, at end insert—
'( ca) ensuring that registers are compiled in accordance wih the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 2001;'.
Mr Clive Betts
28
Clause 9, page 6, line 31, at end insert—
| '(f) | inspecting any records held by any person or organisation as designated by the Secretary of State.'. |
Mr Clive Betts
29
Clause 9, page 6, line 36, at end add—
'"9B Duty to provide information to registration officers
The Secretary of State may require any person or organisation to provide all appropriate information to registration officers to assist them with the performance of their duties.".'.
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
15
Clause 10, page 7, line 17, at end insert—
'(2A) In determining whether the safety of a person, or of his child (who resides at the same address), is at risk in accordance with subsection (2), the applicant must provide written evidence from a government or local authority body or the police to illustrate that risk. A desire for privacy in itself shall not be grounds for anonymity unless there is evidence of ongoing risk to personal safety.'.
Mr David Heath
2
Clause 10, page 7, line 29, leave out from 'address' to end of line 30 and insert 'an entry is to be made in accordance with section 9 above.'.
Mr David Heath
3
Clause 10, page 8, line 18, leave out from 'registered' to end of line 20 and insert 'in pursuance of a further application.'.
Mr Andrew Turner
27
Clause 11, page 8, line 26, leave out subsection (2).
Mr David Heath
10
Clause 11, page 8, line 28, leave out 'fifth' and insert 'seventh'.
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
16
Clause 11, page 8, line 28, leave out 'fifth' and insert 'fifteenth'.
Mr David Heath
11
Clause 11, page 9, line 1, leave out 'fifth' and insert 'seventh'.
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
17
Clause 11, page 9, line 1, leave out 'fifth' and insert 'fifteenth'.
NEW CLAUSE RELATING TO PART 2
Registration of service personnel
Mr Andrew Tyrie
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
NC1
To move the following Clause:—
'(1) After section 10A of the 1983 Act (Preparation of registers) insert—
"10B Right to be registered
(1) A person who may be entitled to vote as an elector at parliamentary elections for which any register is to be used is entitled to be registered in that register, subject to subsections (2) and (3) below.
(2) A person who on the qualifying date has a service qualification is not entitled to be registered as mentioned in subsection (1) above except in pursuance of an appropriate service declaration; and in this subsection and in subsection (3) below "appropriate service declaration" means—
| (a) | in the case of a person who on the qualifying date is a member of the forces or the wife or husband of such a member, a service declaration made in accordance with section 15 below and in force on that date; and |
| (b) | in any other case, a service declaration made in accordance with that section with reference to that date. |
(3) Subsection (2) above does not apply to a person who on the qualifying date is the wife or husband of a member of the forces if on that date—
| (a) | that person has no other service qualification; |
| (b) | that person is resident in the United Kindgdom; and |
| (c) | no appropriate service declaration is in force in respect of that person.".'. |
Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrowes
18
Clause 13, page 11, line 11, leave out subsections (2) to (4) and insert—
'(2) In section 10 (maintenance of registers: annual canvass), after subsection (4) there is inserted—
"(4A) Subject to subsection (4B) below, the information to be obtained by the use of such a form for the purpose of a canvass shall include—
| (a) | the signature of each of the persons in relation to whom the form is completed; |
| (b) | the date of birth of each such person; and |
| (c) | in relation to each such person— |
| (i) | his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one, |
| (ii) | a statement of whether or not he has been resident in the United Kingdom for the whole of the three-month period ending on 15th October in the year in question, and |
| (iii) | any address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered (other than the address in respect of which the form is completed), and the power in subsection (4) above to prescribe a form includes power to give effect to the requirements of the subsection. |
(4B) The Chief Electoral Officer may dispense with the requirement mentioned in subsection (4A)(a) above in relation to any person if he is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable for that person to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because of any incapacity of his or because he is unable to read.".
(3) In section 10A (maintenance of registers: registration of electors)—
| (a) | after subsection (1) there is inserted— |
"(1A) Subject to subsection (1B) below, an application for registration in respect of an address in the United Kingdom shall include—
| (a) | the signature of each of the persons to whom the application relates; |
| (b) | the date of birth of each such person; and |
| (c) | in relation to each such person— |
| (i) | his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one, |
| (ii) | a statement of whether or not he has been resident in the United Kingdom for the whole of the three-month period ending on the date of the application, and |
| (iii) | any other address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered, and the power in subsection (1) above to prescribe requirements includes power to give effect to the requirements of this subsection. |
(1B) The Chief Electoral Officer may dispense with the requirement mentioned in subsection (1A)(a) above in relation to any person if he is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable for that person to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because of any incapacity of his or because he is unable to read.",
| (b) | in subsection (5), at the beginning there is inserted "Subject to subsection (5A) below,", |
| (c) | after subsection (5) there is inserted— |
"(5A) A person's name is to be removed from the register in respect of any address if—
| (a) | the form mentioned in section 10(4) above in respect of that address does not include all the information relating to him required by virtue of section 10(4A) above; or |
| (b) | the registration officer determines that he is not satisfied with the information relating to that person which was included in that form pursuant to that requirement.". |
| (d) | in subsection (6), after "above", there is inserted "or his name is to be removed from it by virtue of subsection (5A) above,", and |
| (e) | in subsection (8), after "5", there is inserted ", (5A)". |
(4) In section 13A (alteration of registers), after subsection (2) there is inserted—
"(2A) Subject to subsection (2B) below, an application for registration under subsection (1)(a) above in respect of an address in the United Kingdom shall include—
| (a) | the signature of each of the persons to whom the application relates; |
| (b) | the date of birth of each such person; and |
| (c) | in relation to each such person— |
| (i) | his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one, |
| (ii) | a statement of whether or not he has been resident in the United Kingdom for the whole of the three-month period ending on the date of the application, and |
| (iii) | any other address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered, and the power in subsection (1)(a) above to prescribe requirements includes power to give effect to the requirements of this subsection. |
(2B) The Chief Electoral Officer may dispense with the requirement mentioned in subsection (2A)(a) above in relation to any person if he is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable for that person to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because of any incapacity of his or because he is unable to read.".'.
