Clause 22 - Financial provisions
European Parliament (Representation) Bill
10:00 am
Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
First, it is clear that any electoral process has its costs and those costs must be met. The provisions of clause 22 are a necessary part of the Bill. Secondly, I do not entirely agree with the hon. Member for Stone that Gibraltar should be excluded from the responsibility of paying for the electoral arrangements within Gibraltar—any more, for instance, than Frome, which is of a comparable size, should be excluded for making the necessary electoral arrangements for my election. The same applies to the MEP. We are not excluded, and it is not immediately apparent why Gibraltar should be.
The hon. Gentleman is right to ask whether Parliament has the power to make an order that draws on the Consolidated fund for Gibraltar via a statutory instrument. We have primary legislation due to the constitutional position, but I am not sure that it is not an ultra vires power. I would certainly be much happier if the provisions for financing the electoral arrangements, as between Gibraltar and the rest of the combined region within which Gibraltar falls, were dependent on conformity of approach; and it should be for the House of Assembly of Gibraltar to bring forward the moneys and the regulation that brings it into effect. It is clearly a devolved matter, not a matter reserved to Parliament and the Government through statutory instrument. I have some unhappiness with the way in which the budget of Gibraltar is pre-empted
by regulation from the House in this instance. The Minister might explain that more fully to the Committee.