Recall of MPs Bill

I thank the noble Baroness for her amendment. She is rightly teasing at various issues that are s...

I agree wholly with the Minister that those who wish to promote a recall should know at the start...

It is my understanding that that is the case, but I will make sure that I can confirm by Report e...

I thank the Minister. I accept that three working days before the petition opens would be a bette...

Moved by

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

60: Schedule 3, page 24, line 17, leave out ...

My Lords, I shall also speak to Amendment 72.

Amendment 60 would ensure that all campaigner...

My Lords, this legislation is intended to help promote and restore confidence in the political sy...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her amendment. Concern has rightly been expressed by nob...

The noble Lord has moved on a little. Who is going to keep an eye on the non-accredited campaigne...

If the noble Lord could be a little patient, I will be developing the points on non-accredited ca...

The Minister said that if I waited he would answer my question. He has not. Who will monitor the ...

My Lords, I asked for the noble Lord’s patience so that I might give him a full reply beyond, “It...

I think I know the answer: it will be this poor petition officer. Otherwise, who will do it? Who ...

My Lords, it will be the same process as for an election. Who will be keeping an eye on non-accre...

Listening to the Minister’s explanation raises a number of questions. The answer to this may be i...

I will take advice on precisely the answer to that so that I am most helpful to the noble Lord. I...

I have to say that I have never heard the Minister flannelling on. I thank him for his reply. How...

I am inspired with confidence when I listen to my noble friend expounding on the Bill. Perhaps sh...

It is interesting to note that when we were dealing with the transparency of lobbying Bill, which...

Moved by

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

61: Schedule 3, page 24, line 33, at end ins...

Amendment 61 stands in the names of my noble friend Lord Kennedy of Southwark and myself. We tabl...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for the very useful and constructive way in which she has pr...

Did the Minister not hear earlier when the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan, made it absolutely cl...

My Lords, I am talking at the moment about the power of wealth intervening. I am not sure whether...

With respect, the Minister said he had gone off wealth; he had gone back on to his familiar track...

My Lords, the noble Lord’s track is also rather familiar to the rest of us, if we are going to tr...

The noble Lord emphasised that the Government are anxious to limit the influence of big money and...

My Lords, the distinction between local and national money, as all of us currently preparing to f...

But there are no limits to the number of organisations that are able to mount such campaigns. The...

I put the question in a slightly different way. If the Minister is confirming what I think that h...

I am saying on behalf of the Government that there can be more than one registered campaign group...

I just wanted to hear from the Government Front Bench that in this choice there could be vastly b...

My Lords, I have some experience of fighting elections in which I was fighting with an infinitely...

So the answer to my question—the Minister can either confirm this or not—is that under the Bill, ...

My Lords, there is a precedent in electoral law for limiting the number of people who can be invo...

As the Minister said, in a referendum, they are subject to spending limits, which they will not b...

Moved by

Lord Kennedy of Southwark

62: Schedule 5, page 55, line 41, leave out “, on ...

My Lords, the amendments in the group proposed by myself and my noble friend Lady Hayter of Kenti...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for moving his amendment. Taken together, Amendments 62 and 71 w...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. However, I do not know whether he is aware that ...

Moved by

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

63: Clause 18, page 12, line 1, leave out paragraph ...

My Lords, Amendments 63 and 67 have been drafted by the Law Society of Scotland. They would remov...

My Lords, Amendments 63 and 67 relate to issues raised by the Law Society of Scotland as referred...

My Lords, Clause 18(1)(b), which Amendment 63 would remove from the Bill, allows for regulations ...

In view of that comprehensive explanation by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment....

Moved by

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

68: Clause 19, page 13, line 17, leave out subsecti...

Moved by

Lord Soley

70A: After Clause 19, insert the following new Clause—

“Exp...

My Lords, this amendment would create a sunset clause; that is, it would bring the Bill to an end...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Soley, made a persuasive case. However, I am particularly drawn to...

My Lords, not for the first time I entirely agree with my noble friend Lord Norton of Louth. Howe...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his amendment. I understand his intention in bringing it for...

Before my noble friend sits down, will he respond to the alternative that my noble friend Lord No...

My Lords, obviously one cannot commit a future Government, but I am sure that a review in some fo...

My noble friend made the point that the Government wish to avoid a situation that would require t...

My Lords, I shall reflect on that.

I am grateful to the Minister. I said in my opening remarks that the alternative was a review sys...

Moved by

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

74: Clause 22, page 14, line 44, leave out “quashed...