Committee (5th Day)

Part of Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill – in the House of Lords at 4:30 pm on 15 December 2010.

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Photo of Lord Howarth of Newport Lord Howarth of Newport Labour 4:30, 15 December 2010

Do we not need to learn the lesson from, for example, the referendum on a regional assembly in the north-east, where the no campaign was led by business interests? That campaign was relatively well-funded and was clearly against Labour Party policy. In effect, therefore, it was significantly in the interests of the Conservative Party. Does the Minister feel that the lessons of that experience have been adequately absorbed and that the existing legislation to which the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, referred satisfactorily covers such circumstances? Or does he feel that the legislation governing referendum expenses needs to be brought up to date in the light of that example of how money can be spent in a political cause but not overtly by a political party?