Electoral Administration Bill

moved Amendment No. 89:"Page 44, line 30, leave out ““Subsection (2) below applies”” and insert ““Subsections (2) and (2A) below apply””" The noble Baroness said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No. 89, I shall also speak to Amendments Nos. 90 to 93. These amendments will help to improve access to the electoral process by certain groups of electors who previously have had difficulties in obtaining documents in formats appropriate to their needs. I thank the noble Lords, Lord Rennard and Lord Goodhart, for raising this issue in Grand Committee. I hope that the amendments address the concerns that they quite rightly raised. Clause 36 inserts new Section 199B into the Representation of the People Act 1983, which provides for the translation of election documents, apart from nominations and ballot papers, into different languages and different formats at the electoral officer’s discretion. Amendment No. 89 would replace subsection (2) of Clause 36 with new subsections (2) and (2A). Amendment No. 90 replaces subsection (2) of Clause 36 with new subsections (2) and (2A). Currently, subsection (2) provides that election officials may provide documents in other formats as they think appropriate, those formats being specified as Braille, other languages and graphical representations. The requirement of election officials to provide documents is amended to replace ““may”” with ““must as he thinks appropriate””, thus changing the requirement on election officials to provide documents in alternative formats where necessary, and emphasising the importance of extending access to the electoral process for all eligible voters. It makes clear to electoral officers that where electors require documents in specific formats due to their particular needs, electoral officers should make every effort to accommodate those requirements. A new paragraph is inserted that gives electoral officials a general power to produce documents in formats other than Braille, other languages and graphical representations. It is designed to accommodate those electors who may not otherwise have reasonable access to the information. For example, documents could include large print. A new subsection (2A) is inserted, which specifies that electoral officials can provide documents in an audible format, which could be by means of a tape or simply by being read to an elector by an election official. Amendment No. 91 simply replaces a further reference to subsection (2) with the new subsections that I have already described. I turn to Clause 37, which substitutes a new rule 24 of the parliamentary election rules, contained in Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act. The new rule 24 specifies the materials that should be issued by the returning officers to those entitled to vote by post. It allows him to include guidance on how to access translations or graphical representations. Amendment No. 92 changes subsection (2) of Clause 37 to strengthen the requirement of election officials to provide directions and guidance to polls or voters in other formats. The change from ““may as he thinks appropriate”” to ““must as he thinks appropriate”” is similar to the changes made in Clause 36. Amendment No. 93 extends the formats in which directions and guidance to polls and voters can be provided to include audible forms, and provides a general power to election officials to produce, as appropriate, directions and guidance in any format that may assist electors. Finally, I should add that my officials have sent copies of these amendments to the Disability Rights Commission for its comments. The commission has confirmed that it and its chairman, Bert Massey, are strongly supportive of these changes. I therefore hope that noble Lords will be prepared to accept the amendments. I beg to move.