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

I take no pleasure in this, but it is necessary for me to apologise again to the Committee for the errors that occurred. Obviously they are serious matters. They are rectifiable, but they have happened. In all walks of life errors sometimes occur, and I stand here representing the Government apologising for these errors, remembering the debates we had on the Electoral Administration Bill and remembering well the points the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, made. I hope the answers I give will go some way to satisfying the anxieties expressed. I am not sure that today I can go all the way, but at least we acknowledge that there is a problem; it is a problem of our own making, and again I apologise for that. The noble Baroness and other Members of the Committee have asked whether we intend to introduce primary legislation to solve the problem of signatures for ballot papers. Yes, we plan to clarify the matter as soon as possible in order to bring in a clear requirement for signatures in polling stations. As the noble Baroness said, that will require primary legislation. I am afraid that I cannot give a firm commitment on when that will happen, nor can I provide any details of the Government’s legislative programme in future parliamentary Sessions. It is essential, however, that this should happen. It is clear that such an amendment, as I said in my opening remarks, will not be made before the elections in May 2007. We continue to believe, as do other Members of the Committee, that requiring electors to sign for their ballot papers will bring a number of benefits. Many voters find it reassuring that they have to provide some sort of identification in order to vote. It will also help to deter opportunists—the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, raised this point—from defrauding the system. I know that that answer will not satisfy the noble Baroness but—