HC Deb 27 March 1969 vol 780 cc1867-9

Lords Amendment: No. 19, in page 27, line 8, at end insert: (2) In section 8(2) proviso there shall be omitted paragraphs (a) and (b) (which make provision against a person being registered as a local government elector more than once in any area or being registered as a nonresident if entitled to be registered as a resident).

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Mr. Speaker

With Lords Amendment No. 19 I suggest that we discuss Amendments No. 31, 32 and 33.

Mr. Rees

Amendment No. 19 is largely technical, its purpose being to remove paragraph (a) and (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1949, Section 8(2) proviso. With the abolition of the non-resident franchise and the bringing of the local government franchise into line with the Parliamentary franchise, these paragraphs are no longer required or, as regards paragraph (a) in particular, workable. Amendments No. 31, 32 and 33 are consequential.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

Lords Amendment: No. 23, in page 34, line 24, after "Schedule 2" insert: and rule 41(4) of the local election rules in Schedule 3

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Paragraph 31 of Schedule 2 provides for the omission from Parliamentary Elections Rule 48(4) and Local Elections Rule 43(5), in Schedule 2 to the Representation of the People Act, 1949, of the concluding words which enable a counting agent to copy the statement of rejected ballot papers. It is no longer necessary to give this right to counting agents because paragraph 13(4) of Schedule 1 provides for such a statement to be published along with the result of an election.

The Amendment provides for the omission of similar words at the end of Scottish Local Elections Rule 41(4) in Schedule 3 to the 1949 Act. Provision for a statement of rejected ballot papers to be published along with the result of a local government election in Scotland is made by paragraph 13(5) of Schedule 1.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: No. 24, in page 35, line 47, at beginning insert: (3) In Schedule 4, in paragraph 2, for the words from ' any householder' to ' the agent or factor of any such person ' there shall be substituted the word ' persons ' ".

6.30 p.m.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Mr. Speaker

We can also discuss with this Lords Amendment No. 34.

Mr. Rees

Amendment No. 24 will enable Regulations, corresponding to Regulations 22 and 70 of the Representation of the People Regulations, 1950, to require information for registration purposes to be obtained from persons, other than householders, and to make such persons liable to a penalty if they fail to give it.

Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act, 1949, sets out the provisions which may be made in Regulations as to registration. To limit the area of the registration officer's inquiries to householders, as is the result, might reduce the registration officer's power too far. There are many people from whom he would require information for registration purposes, apart from householders. Examples are managers of hotels or of seamen's residential clubs—to go back to an earlier Clause—hotel administrators, occupiers of factories with resident caretakers, et cetera. This is an appropriate step.

Question put and agreed to.

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