Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) (Amendment) Order 2007

They will be returned and it will be up to the sheriff’s office to decide what should happen to them. If there is more to say on this, we will write. The noble Lord, Lord Steel, and the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, asked about party descriptions. Section 49 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 provided for a registered political party to register up to 12 descriptions of six words or more to be used on nomination papers and/or ballot papers. Responsibility for registering party descriptions lies with the Electoral Commission. The criteria the commission has to follow in registering party descriptions is set out in the Electoral Administration Act. The noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy, asked whether this order will set a precedent. The administrative problems faced in the 2007 Scottish elections dented public confidence—there is no doubt about that—and, in order to rebuild that confidence, we need to ensure that the commission’s review is detailed, thorough and has access to the information it needs, including ballot papers. Only in this way can we be sure to learn the lessons of the elections and be seen to be learning from them, which is very important. The order is limited to Scottish Parliament elections. Following the review, it is possible that the Electoral Commission may request that a similar power be written into electoral law relating to all elections. Such a request would, of course, be for Parliament to decide upon. The noble Lord, Lord Selkirk of Douglas, asked whether this order will make it less likely that people will need to go to court to question a result. The order does not affect the general provisions relating to election petitions; instead, it is a response to particular circumstances. If I have failed to answer any questions, noble Lords will receive letters, and copies of correspondence will go to everyone who has taken part in what has been an interesting debate. On Question, Motion agreed to.