Clause 7 - Encouraging Voting
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
10:30 am
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
No. I listened carefully to the views on thresholds expressed in Committee and, as the hon. Gentleman will see in due course, we have tabled new amendments, and are about to table more, that would incorporate the concept of thresholds but in a way that would not create a perverse incentive for the no campaign to encourage people not to vote. We shall hear more on that in due course, but I suspect that you do not want me to digress into that now, Mr. Benton.
Amendment No. 7 would place on the Electoral Commission a duty to ensure that, in encouraging voting, it does not disproportionately encourage voting among no voters or yes voters in the referendum. I shall deal with the RNIB's points in the stand part debate, if I may, and now I wait to hear what the Under-Secretary has to say on this uncontroversial proposal.