Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

This has been a very interesting and revealing debate. If noble Lords were not confused before they came into the Chamber, I am sure that they are now. My amendment would remove the subsection that says: "““The polls for the referendum and the Scottish parliamentary general election in 2011 are to be taken together””." Nothing could be clearer than that, could it? Then we have the amendment, which the noble Lord, Lord McNally, tabled in a panic, because of something that happened in Report stage elsewhere. It refers to a circumstance ““if”” they are, "““not held on the same day””." Which takes precedence? Surely saying that they are to be taken together means that they are to be taken together. Nothing could be clearer than that. Even the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, the former Lord Chancellor, said that if that said that they were to be taken together, they were to be taken together.