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establish
a Citizens’ Convention to facilitate the involvement of
people from |
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all sections of society
in considering the way in which the United Kingdom is |
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governed; to make provision
relating to the implementation of |
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recommendations made by
the Convention; and for connected purposes. |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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(1) |
The Secretary of State
must, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, |
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establish a Citizens’
Convention for the purposes of— |
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(a) |
involving people more directly
in the process of democratic decision- |
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(b) |
enabling people to participate
in that process. |
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(2) |
Before establishing the
Citizens’ Convention the Secretary of State must |
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consult on the way in which
the Convention shall be set up and discharge its |
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(3) |
The organisations to be
consulted under subsection (2) shall include— |
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(a) |
organisations that have
an interest in the governance of the United |
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(b) |
community organisations; |
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(c) |
organisations with an interest
in environmental protection; |
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(d) |
organisations representing
businesses; |
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(f) |
organisations representing
the voluntary sector. |
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(4) |
The Secretary of State
must take reasonable steps to ensure that persons from |
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the most under-represented
and disadvantaged sections of society are |
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involved in the Convention. |
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(5) |
The Secretary of State
must make regulations about the composition of the |
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Convention, the procedure
to be followed by the Convention, the way in which |
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persons specified in subsection
(4) are involved in the Convention, and other |
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matters relevant to the
administration of the Convention. |
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(6) |
Regulations made under
subsection (5) must include a requirement for the |
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Convention to hold meetings
and adopt other mechanisms for promoting the |
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involvement of people from
all regions of the United Kingdom. |
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(7) |
Regulations under this
section— |
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(a) |
must be made by statutory
instrument; and |
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(b) |
must be approved by a resolution
of each House of Parliament. |
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(8) |
In this section, “the
most under-represented and disadvantaged sections of |
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society” includes,
but is not restricted to, people from ethnic minorities, people
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living in poverty, people
with disabilities, people over the age of 60 and people |
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Implementation
of recommendations |
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(1) |
It shall be the duty of
the Citizens’ Convention to make recommendations, in |
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the form of written reports
to the Secretary of State, to achieve the purposes |
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(2) |
The reports made under
subsection (1) shall be published. |
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(3) |
The Secretary of State
must must— |
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(a) |
consider the recommendations
made by the Convention; |
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(b) |
co-operate with the Convention
in taking decisions about their |
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(c) |
take such steps as are necessary
to implement those decisions. |
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There
shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament any expenses
incurred under |
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this
Act by a Minister of the Crown or by the Convention. |
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(1) |
This Act may be cited as
the Citizens’ Convention Act 2007. |
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