Political Parties and Elections Bill

In which case, I am sorry to have to disillusion the noble Lord because this government amendment deals with information that the Electoral Commission can claim after five years has run. As far as investigations are concerned—and I tried to say this at the end of my opening remarks—this is only on the supervisory role of the Electoral Commission. Investigatory powers apply without limit. It is good to have the chief executive of the Liberal Democrats here to help us in dealing with these difficult matters. I was almost weeping when I heard the noble Lord, Lord Bates, describe the difficulties of the Conservative Party. It almost made me feel sorry for the Conservatives, but I will resist that temptation. What he had to say was absolutely right. All parties—the three big ones as well as other legitimate parties—rely on volunteers. It is very important that we do not impose overmuch on those who give their time freely in this field. We want to have a live democracy—a point the noble Lord made both at Second Reading and today. I am grateful for the support for these government amendments and I beg to move. Amendment 2 agreed.