Clause 2 - Pilot order
European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Bill
11:00 am
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs; Shipley, Labour)
We will come to the issue of how local authorities fund and finance those arrangements in amendment No. 27. The Government believe that, although they normally fund the conventional voting mechanisms, they will support local authorities with extra finance for the extra effort of undertaking those pilot arrangements so that they are not burdened unnecessarily. I hope that that gives the hon. Gentleman the assurance that he seeks.
There is a precedent for not having a 14-day requirement for publication. The Representation of the People Act 2000 states that local authorities shall publish orders in that area in such a manner as they think fit. There is no 14-day limit in the 2000 Act, which has worked sufficiently well. We do not therefore believe that a 14-day requirement is necessary, and with those assurances I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw the amendment.