Clause 21 - Electoral commission exercise of functions
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
6:00 pm
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
I do not think that I can support the Conservatives' amendment. I am sure that they will be horrified.
I share many of their suspicions of over-reaching powers given to Ministers. However, we discussed numbers earlier. Under a previous clause, the Electoral Commission may receive guidance to the effect that the numbers should not be smaller than 24 or larger than 35. The guidance to the commission could be straightforward and there must be some provision for that. Perhaps the most worrying element is that it is so overarching, but to delete it entirely would surely not create the set of circumstances that the Bill seeks to achieve.
I understand where the Conservatives are coming from, but they may have gone too far in their desire to see paragraph (c) removed entirely. I presume that they will decide to withdraw the amendment.