Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill - Clause 19 - Advice of the Electoral Commission
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I am being charitable to the hon. Gentleman because that is the effect of clause 21, to which he referred. I assumed that he would not have tabled an amendment that was entirely and totally
redundant. Although he generously conceded that it might be largely redundant, I assumed that he was trying to ensure—as he argued earlier today—a broad parity between the number of electors in any constituency in any region. If that is not the purpose of the amendment, I am happy to say that it is entirely redundant because of the provisions of clause 21(b), so I would be happy if he would withdraw it.
On the points that he raised in moving the amendment, I said that I would cover the phrase
''as near as is reasonably practicable'',
so it is right that I should do so. There clearly is an intention that the Electoral Commission should balance requirements in differing locations. We have talked about the problems of sparsity in rural areas and communities that might have a natural identity, where it would be perverse simply in the interests of numerical equality to add in other areas that do not have a relationship with them. We have included the words
''as near as is reasonably practicable''
to accept some flexibility. It is appropriate for the commission to take those wider issues into account