DECLARATIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS FOR PURPOSES OF SECTION 98 (Hansard, 16 February 2000)

§ Mr. Walter

I do not wish to prolong the debate on organisations that are designated as permitted participants in a referendum campaign. Clause 99 deals with declarations and notifications for the purposes of clause 98. I wish to alert the Committee to what I see as more evidence of the problems in the Bill with regard to those who might well decide that they are or want to be permitted participants, but are not normally regarded as citizens of the United Kingdom or are not normally resident here.

Clause 99(4)(a) states: A notification under this section must— (a) if given by an individual, state— (i) his full name, and (ii) his home address in the United Kingdom". I imagine that, for the purposes of his home address in the United Kingdom, a hotel or a friend's address would be perfectly acceptable so long as he signed the notification.

In respect of a company, the name and the address of its registered office is required. To some extent, that brings companies within the scope of the Bill. None the less, there are no specific provisions, despite those in respect of permitted donors to political parties, that relate to a company registered under the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, and … incorporated within the European Union, which carries on business in the United Kingdom. There are no such provisions in clause 99 in respect of the declarations and notifications that have to be made.

If a notification is given by an unincorporated association", it must state

"(i) the name of the association,
(ii) the address of an office of the association in the United Kingdom".

So one might well receive a notification from the good burghers of Calais who wished to participate in a referendum campaign and had a branch office in Dover. That would be sufficient for them to be permitted participants. If the limits in the Bill applied to them, as foreigners, they would be entitled to spend £500,000.

In the previous couple of debates on amendments to clause 98 and clause stand part, we have emphasised the fact that the Bill allows for an enormous leak which will permit foreign individuals, companies, unincorporated associations and other bodies to participate in our 992 democratic procedures without necessarily being United Kingdom nationals. It is a worrying provision and it is highlighted yet again in clause 99.