Lords Amendments to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Session 2010 - 11
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Lords Amendments to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

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documents retained under rule 50(1)(b) of the referendum rules

as applied by paragraph 38 above;

(b)
as if references to the proper officer included references to the

Chief Electoral Officer.”
99
Page 271, line 16, leave out from “are” to end of line 18 and insert—

“(i)
the packets, made up under paragraph 11 of Part 3 of

Schedule 2 to the Local Elections Order, of any combined

lists produced by virtue of paragraph 7 or 23 above;

(ii)
the packets made up under paragraphs 12 and 17C of that

Part.”
100
Page 272, line 3, leave out “paragraphs 11 and 17C(b) were omitted” and insert

“packets did not include the packets mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(b) above”
101
Page 272, line 5, at end insert—

    “( )
Regulation 115(1) of the 2008 Regulations has effect in relation to an

Assembly election as if the reference to documents retained under

rule 57(1A) of the elections rules included a reference to documents

retained under this paragraph that relate to the Assembly election.

      ( )
Schedule 3 to the Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 2010 has

effect—

(a)
as if, in the definition of “the marked register or lists” in

paragraph 1(1), the reference to documents retained under

rule 60 of the Local Elections Rules included a reference to

documents retained under this paragraph that relate to the local

election;

(b)
as if references to the proper officer included references to the

Chief Electoral Officer.”
102
Page 274, line 29, leave out “spoilt”
Schedule 10
103
Page 300, line 24, at end insert—

“Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986


In Schedule 2A to the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (public

hearings about Boundary Commission proposals), in the definition of

“qualifying party” in paragraph 9, for “votes” there is substituted “first-

preference votes”.”
After Schedule 10
104
Insert the following new Schedule—

‘‘Schedule

Section 12

Public hearings about Boundary Commission proposals


The Schedule referred to in section 12(1A) is as follows—

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“Schedule 2A

Section 5

Public hearings about Boundary Commission proposals

Purpose of hearings

1
The purpose of a public hearing is to enable representations to

be made about any of the proposals with which the hearing is

concerned.

Number of hearings

2    (1)
In relation to any particular report under section 3(1)(a) of this

Act—

(a)
the Boundary Commission for England shall cause at

least two and no more than five public hearings to be

held in each English region;

(b)
the Boundary Commission for Scotland shall cause at

least two and no more than five public hearings to be

held in Scotland;

(c)
the Boundary Commission for Wales shall cause at

least two and no more than five public hearings to be

held in Wales;

(d)
the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland shall

cause at least two and no more than five public

hearings to be held in Northern Ireland.

      (2)
The public hearings in an English region shall be concerned

with proposals for that region, and shall between them cover

the whole region.

      (3)
The public hearings in Scotland shall be concerned with

proposals for Scotland, and shall between them cover the

whole of Scotland.

      (4)
The public hearings in Wales shall be concerned with

proposals for Wales, and shall between them cover the whole

of Wales.

      (5)
The public hearings in Northern Ireland shall be concerned

with proposals for Northern Ireland, and shall between them

cover the whole of Northern Ireland.

Chair of hearing

3
For each public hearing the Boundary Commission concerned

shall appoint a person to chair the hearing.

Length of hearings

4
A public hearing shall be completed within two days.

Procedure at hearings

5
It is for the chair of each public hearing to determine the

procedure that is to govern that hearing.

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6
The chair shall make arrangements for a public hearing to

begin with an explanation of—

(a)
the proposals with which the hearing is concerned;

(b)
how written representations about the proposals may

be made (as mentioned in section 5(1)(a), (4)(b) or (5)(c)

of this Act).

7    (1)
The chair of a public hearing must allow representations to be

made—

(a)
by each qualifying party;

(b)
by any other persons (whether individuals or

organisations) considered by the chair to have an

interest in any of the proposals with which the hearing

is concerned.


Paragraph (b) above has effect subject to sub-paragraph (3)(b)

below.

      (2)
The chair may restrict the amount of time allowed for

representations—

(a)
by qualifying parties, and

(b)
by other persons,


and need not allow the same amount to each.

      (3)
The chair may determine—

(a)
the order in which representations are made, and

(b)
if necessary because of shortage of time, which of those

wishing to make representations are not allowed to do

so,


in whatever way the chair decides.

8    (1)
The chair may put questions, or allow questions to be put, to a

person present at the hearing.

      (2)
If questions are allowed to be put, the chair may regulate the

manner of questioning or restrict the number of questions a

person may ask.

Interpretation

9
In this Schedule—

“the chair” means the person appointed under paragraph

3 above;

“English region” means an electoral region specified in

Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections

Act 2002 (ignoring paragraph 2(2) of that Schedule and

the references to Gibraltar) as it has effect on the day

referred to in rule 5(2) of Schedule 2 to this Act;

“public hearing” means a hearing under section 5(1)(b) of

this Act;

“qualifying party” means a party that is registered under

Part 2 of the Political Parties, Elections and

Referendums Act 2000 and either—

(a)
has at least one Member of the House of

Commons representing a constituency in the

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region, or (as the case may be) the part of the

United Kingdom, in which the hearing is held, or

(b)
received at least 10% of the votes cast in that

region or part in the most recent parliamentary

general election.””

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