Committee (5th Day)

Part of Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill – in the House of Lords at 6:15 pm on 15 December 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Lord Grocott Lord Grocott Labour 6:15, 15 December 2010

I have been glancing through the Bill, because the reference to the crucial issue of the leaflet hit me by surprise. The Minister looks irritated every time I make a suggestion; that seems to be the effect that I have on him. This is what Committee stages are for. Sometimes almost out of a clear blue sky a very important issue arises. It seems that we are not going to debate this now. The only part that I can see immediately thumbing through the Bill that refers to the role of the Electoral Commission is on page 19. It says:

"The Electoral Commission must take whatever steps they think appropriate to promote public awareness about the referendum and how to vote in it".

I cannot see anything that refers to leaflets. That is quite probably ignorance on my part, but that was the nature of the debate.