S.C.B.

Amendment Paper as at
Tuesday 22nd November 2005

STANDING COMMITTEE B

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ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION BILL

Except 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.

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NOTE

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the Committee [15th November 2005].

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Ms Diana R. Johnson

28

Schedule     1,     page     82,     line     9,     leave out '18' and insert '16'.

   

Ms Diana R. Johnson

29

Schedule     1,     page     82,     line     21,     leave out '18' and insert '16'.

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mrs Eleanor Laing

67

Schedule     1,     page     83,     line     7,     leave out paragraph (b).

   

Ms Diana R. Johnson

27

Schedule     1,     page     95,     line     4,     at end insert—

'113

(1)

The Representation of the People Act 1985 is amended as follows—

(2)	In section 1(5) (extension of the parlimentary franchise), for "18" substitute "16",

(3)	In section 3(8)(a) (extension of the franchise for European Parliamentary elections), for "18" substitute "16".'.

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Mr David Heath
Dr John Pugh

1

Clause     69,     page     68,     line     22,     at end insert—

    '( )   section 13;

    ( )   section 14;'.

   

Mr David Heath
Dr John Pugh

2

Clause     69,     page     68,     line     37,     leave out subsection (5).

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Mr David Heath
Dr John Pugh

12

Clause     70,     page     69,     line     6,     leave out paragraph (b).

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NEW CLAUSES

Content of election address

   

Mr David Heath
Dr John Pugh

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   Section 91 of the 1983 Act (parliamentary election rules) is amended as follows.

    (2)   After subsection 1(b) insert—

"( )	If, and only if, the universal service provider considers any matter in that communication not properly to consitute 'matter related to the election only' in paragraph 1(a), then the question as to whether it is included must be referred to the Electoral Commission for determination.

( )	The universal service provider may not by any other means specify what matter can be included in a communication under this section.".'.

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Minimum age of voting

   

Ms Diana R. Johnson
Andrew Mackinlay

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   In section 1 of the 1983 Act (parliamentary electors), for subsection (d) substitute—"(d) is of voting age (that is, 16 years or over)".

    (2)   In section 2 of the 1983 Act (local government electors), for subsection (d) substitute—"(d) is of voting age (that is, 16 years or over)".

    (3)   In paragraph 6(5) of Schedule 4 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.2), for "18" substitute "16".'.

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Absent and overseas voters

   

Mr Andrew Turner

NC3

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   The Secretary of State shall, within 12 months of the enactment of this Act lay regulations—

(a)	providing that overseas voters' ballot papers may be delivered to a British diplomatic representative and if so delivered before the close of the poll shall be counted there in secure conditions and the result transmitted by electronic means to the returning officer or officers in any such polls;

(b)

providing that absent voters' ballot papers may on any weekday after their distribution by post be left at a place designated by the returning officer at any time designated in this regulation and kept in secure conditions until the close of the poll when they shall be counted with other ballot papers; and

(c)	providing that a returning officer or officers shall adopt a common date on which absent voters' ballot papers shall be posted.

    (2)   Regulations made under this section shall be laid in draft before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament before being made.'.

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Extra provision for collection of postal votes

   

Mr Oliver Heald
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Eleanor Laing
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr David Burrows

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

'There shall be available in each constituency until, and including, polling day, a ballot box at which postal votes may be cast in person.'.

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Referendum campaign funding

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mrs Eleanor Laing

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   Section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41) is amended as follows.

    (2)   In section 125 (restriction on publication etc. of promotional material by central and local government etc.), for paragraph (4)(b), substitute—

"(b)	'the relevant period', in relation to a referendum, means the period commencing with the beginning of the referendum campaign and ending with the date of the poll.".'.

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Challenging election results

   

Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mrs Eleanor Laing

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

'The ongoing conduct of a police investigation into an election shall not prevent such election result being capable of being challenged by way of an election petition.'.

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ORDER OF THE HOUSE [25th OCTOBER]

Committal

    1.   The following shall be committed to a Committee of the whole House—

(a)	Clauses Nos. 9 to 18;

(b)	any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to Part 2 or Part 3 of the Bill;

(c)	any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to the procedure to be followed at an election on the death of a candidate;

(d)	any new Clauses or new Schedules relating to candidates standing in more than one constituency at an election.

    2.   The remainder of the Bill shall be committed to a Standing Committee.

Proceedings in Committee

    3.   Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be completed in one day.

    4.   Those Proceedings shall be taken in the order shown in the first column of the following table and shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the times specified in the second column of that table.

Proceedings	Time for conclusion of proceedings
Clauses Nos. 9 to 12, new Clauses relating to Part 2 of the Bill, new Schedules relating to Part 2 of the Bill.	Two and a half hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Bill.
Clauses Nos. 13 to 18, new Clauses relating to Part 3 of the Bill, new Schedules relating to Part 3 of the Bill.	Two and a half hours after the commencement of proceedings on Clause No. 13.
New Clauses and new Schedules relating to the procedure to be followed at an election on the death of candidate or relating to candidates standing in more than one consituency at an election.	The moment of interruption or one hour after the commencement of proceedings on the first such new Clause, whichever is the later.

    5.   Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to the proceedings in Committee of the whole House.

Proceedings in Standing Committee

    6.   Proceedings in the Standing Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Thursday 24th November.

    7.   The Standing Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on which it meets.

Proceedings after Commmittee

    8.   When the provisions of the Bill considered respectively by the Committee of the whole House and by the Standing Committee have been reported to the House, the Bill shall be proceeded with as if it had been reported as a whole from the Standing Committee.

Consideration and Third Reading

    9.   Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which those proceedings are commenced.

    10.   Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

    11.   Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

Programming of proceedings

    12.   Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments or any further messages from the Lords) may be programmed.

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ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE [15th NOVEMBER 2005]

That—

    (1)   during the proceedings on the Electoral Administration Bill, in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday 15th November, the Standing Committee shall meet at:

(a)	4.00 p.m on Tuesday 15th November,

(a)	9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 17th November,

(c)	10.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 22nd November,

(d)	9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m on Thursday 24th November;

    (2)   the Bill be considered in the following order, namely, Clauses 1 to 8, Clauses 19 to 66, Schedules 1 and 2, Clauses 67 to 71, new Clauses, new Schedules, remaining proceedings on the Bill;

    (3)   proceedings on the Bill shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 4.00 p.m on Thursday 24th November.

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Prepared 22 Nov 2005