Clause 8 - Provision of information to voters
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
12:30 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I hope that I can give exactly the assurance that the hon. Members for Runnymede and Weybridge and for South-West Devon seek.
Subsection (5) requires the commission to act in the most cost-effective way. That is a clear requirement of the words in brackets and the fact that they are in brackets in no way invalidates them. I shall not enter a lengthy constitutional debate about the significance of brackets in legislation. We might learn a lot from parliamentary counsel, but I am clear that the reference to ''the Commission'' envisages the Electoral Commission. I am more than happy to take further advice on whether omission of the word ''Electoral'' is a defect, but I do not believe that there is any doubt that we are discussing the obligation on the Electoral Commission. However, I have undertaken to consider the matter again and will write to the hon. Member for South-West Devon when I have taken soundings.