Clause 8
Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
10:30 am
David Hanson (Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office; Delyn, Labour)
I hope that I can help the hon. Gentleman, and I fully understand why he tabled his amendment. I refer him to the statutory provision that provides for the appointment of the chief electoral officer—the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962, in which no mention is made of Her Majesty the Queen. However, the post is, is understood to be and is defined as a Crown appointment. The wording of the clause will preserve the current position; in essence, the chief electoral officer will still be a Crown appointment.
There is no need for the amendment. In fact, inserting a reference to the Queen would put the chief electoral officer, for the first time, on the same statutory footing as, for example, senior clergy in the Church of England. The amendment is unnecessary because the post will be a Crown appointment. Given that assurance, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw his amendment.