wh500811.109-115

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

109

House of Commons

Tuesday 8th November 2005

Committee of the Whole House

Proceedings

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.)

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Withdrawn  14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

Not called  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

Not called  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

Not called  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

Not called  29

Clause  9,  page  6,  line  36,  at end add—

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
110

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

‘“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.”.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Withdrawn  15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

Not called  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

Not called  3

Clause  10,  page  8,  line  18,  leave out from ‘registered’ to end of line 20 and insert

‘in pursuance of a further application.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr Andrew Turner

Withdrawn  27

Clause  11,  page  8,  line  26,  leave out subsection (2).

Mr David Heath

Not called  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

Not called  16

Clause  11,  page  8,  line  28,  leave out ‘fifth’ and insert ‘fifteenth’.

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
111

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

Mr David Heath

Not called  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

Not called  17

Clause  11,  page  9,  line  1,  leave out ‘fifth’ and insert ‘fifteenth’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clause 12 Agreed to.

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

Negatived on division  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

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
112

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

(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

Withdrawn  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

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
113

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

(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.”.’.

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
114

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Not selected  19

Clause  13,  page  11,  line  20,  at end insert—

‘(4D)
Non-United Kingdom voters shall be asked to provide proof of citizenship if they

do not have a National Insurance number.’.

Mr David Heath

Not selected  13

Clause  13,  page  12,  line  5,  leave out from beginning of line to end of line 24 and

insert—

‘(a)
leave out paragraph (1B); and

(b)
in paragraph 2, leave out “in Northern Ireland”.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clause 14 Agreed to.

Mr David Heath

Negatived on division  4

Clause  15,  page  14,  line  17,  leave out subsection (1).

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Not called  20

Clause  15,  page  14,  line  23,  after ‘provisions’, insert ‘, including collection of

National Insurance numbers,’.

Mr David Heath

Not called  5

Clause  15,  page  14,  line  26,  leave out from ‘to’ to end of line and insert—


‘one or more electoral regions as defined for the purposes of the European

Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 (c.24)’.

Mr David Heath

Not called  6

Clause  15,  page  15,  line  1,  leave out subsections (10) and (11).

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Withdrawn  21

Clause  15,  page  15,  line  24,  at end insert—

Committee of the whole House Proceedings: 8th November 2005
115

Electoral Administration Bill, continued

‘(16)
In section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 (Pilot schemes for

local elections in England and Wales), after subsection (1), insert—

“(1A)
No pilot scheme shall take place by all-postal voting or involve sending

ballot papers to electors who have not expressly and explicitly requested

to vote by post.”.’.

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Not selected  22

Clause  15,  page  15,  line  24,  at end insert—

‘(16)
No pilot scheme shall involve the piloting of all-postal voting and no system of

all-postal voting shall be introduced in the United Kingdom in any election.’.

Mr Oliver Heald

Mr Jonathan Djanogly

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Henry Bellingham

Mr David Burrowes

Not called  23

Clause  15,  page  15,  line  24,  at end insert—

‘(16)
In section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 (Pilot schemes for

local elections in England and Wales), after subsection (1), insert—

“(1A)
No pilot scheme shall include provision for remote electronic voting,

telephone voting, text message voting, internet voting or voting by

analogous electronic means.”.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr David Heath

Not called  7

Clause  16,  page  15,  line  40,  leave out ‘local authority in response to whose

proposal’ and insert ‘local authorities within the region or regions in which’.

Mr David Heath

Not called  8

Clause  16,  page  15,  line  43,  leave out ‘local authority in response to whose

proposal’ and insert ‘local authorities within the region or regions in which’.

Mr David Heath

Not called  9

Clause  16,  page  16,  line  1,  leave out first ‘The’ and insert ‘Each’.