Political Parties and Elections Bill

I am grateful to the Minister. It is indeed broad and that is my point: it is too broad in its present form. A number of colleagues have mentioned in debate on this matter that further clarification is merited. For example, my noble friend Lord Hodgson said that, if something is considered to be appropriate, what will be considered as inappropriate? I accept the comment of the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, that judgment is important but I think that we need further detail on this. I was looking at the review of the Electoral Commission by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which the noble Baroness, Lady Gould, mentioned, and I found several references to how the commission’s work should be carried out. There is a whole section—Chapter 4—on the Electoral Commission’s accountability, and in a sense the amendment seeks to touch on that. That chapter talks about the Electoral Commission’s accountability to the Executive through the legislature, which is entirely appropriate, and there are several sections with recommendations concerning accountability, guarantees and membership of the Speaker’s Committee. That seems to be a fraction at odds with the phrasing in the Bill and, in that sense, it sets the tone for our debate. I am taking a bit more time over this because the Bill refers to, ""taking such steps as they"—" that is, the Electoral Commission— ""consider appropriate"," as opposed to recognising its role as—I give way to the noble Baroness.