Representation of the People (England and Wales) and the Representation of the People (Combination of Polls) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

I thank the Minister for that long introduction. I know that he sat through some of the debates on the electoral Bill although he was not the Minister in charge. It is nice to see him opposite, though I am sorry that I will have to be cross because we are not in a very happy situation. I have not scoured the mayoral elections regulations 2007 but, in the light of what has happened today, I probably should have. I am hoping that they are absolutely as expected. It is the representation of the people regulations which we are being asked to approve today that cause us the most concern. Throughout the passage of the electoral registration Bill we had enormously long discussions on fraud and the prevention of fraud—particularly by postal voting, where we made considerable changes to the Bill—and the personation of people in polling stations. The Government’s measure provided that people appearing at a polling station should have to sign for their ballot papers. It was generally agreed by everybody that that was an extremely sensible measure. The provision therefore did not command a great deal of attention at the time. I am, however, bound to say that this is a fiasco of the greatest order. We have local elections coming up this year and local and mayoral elections next year. We have the possibility of a general election at any time after the retirement of the Prime Minister. Yet, these measures which would have ensured that people turning up at polling stations had to sign for their ballot paper are going to be rescinded and will not be available to provide that protection when the election takes place. I cannot overstate the fact that this is a monumental blunder. The fact that the Electoral Commission, the administrators themselves, had to pick up the fact that there was a flaw—that returning officers would have to give somebody a ballot paper even if they refused to sign—just beggars belief. We have no alternative other than to let this matter go. But I must ask the Minister to tell us when primary legislation will be produced to rectify the matter. This is the second time that we have dealt with this order. We took it through and agreed it in December. Now we are taking it back in March and have to disagree it. So there is clearly a mega-problem. We must know when the primary legislation will be there. It is not only the Electoral Commission that is concerned about fraud. The commission on standards has pointed out all along that personation at polling stations is one of the major ways of committing fraud in elections. We have spent weeks and weeks trying to tighten up the legislation to ensure that we build out of elections any possibility of fraud; and what happens? The Government have managed to build it all back in again. It is a shambles. I am sure that the Minister, who read the notes very carefully, will agree that this is not the sort of standard that one expects from the Government or from those who draft the legislation. Ultimately we have to agree to the removal of one of the most substantial bits of legislation to prevent fraud. I have nothing more to say other than to ask when the primary legislation will be introduced. I reiterate that the Government should be very shame-faced over this.