OFFICERS OF REGISTERED PARTY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURE (Hansard, 14 March 2000)

§ Mr. Tipping
I beg to move amendment No. 26, in page 43, line 27, leave out from "if' to "he" in line 31.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Michael J. Martin)
With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 27 to 31, 34, 41 to 44, 53, 65 to 69, 124, 80 and 81.

§ Mr. Tipping
This is a large group of amendments. I am delighted to say that, without exception, they all 214 arise from the eagle eyes of the hon. Members for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve), who gave much helpful advice in Committee, and for North Dorset (Mr. Walter), who, when I look back at the record, first introduced the concept of criminal offences. All the amendments respond to the points made in Committee. We have worked hard to put the Bill in good shape. At this stage, it would be best for me to sit down, to respond to any concerns and complaints and to give a further undertaking that, if we are still not quite there—I think that we are and that we have done the job—we will revisit the matter.

§ Mr. Grieve
I am grateful to the Minister and to the Government for having taken on board the comments in Committee. Perhaps it is right that the House should be aware of what happened. By my calculation, 70 criminal offences arise out of the legislation. Although defences were offered on one or two, when the Bill went to Committee, the vast majority were absolute offences, so they could criminalise party treasurers, even association treasurers and all sorts of other people. There was no defence of reasonable excuse, or the other defences that one would normally expect in a—dare I say it?— a civilised society.
I am mindful of the fact that part of the Government's explanation was that they tried to copy other legislation, but we pointed out that, in doing that, the draftsmen—I suspect somewhat overwhelmed by the scope and detail of the legislation—had some difficulty and failed to note that defences of reasonable excuse were offered in similar legislation and should thus be incorporated in the Bill.
I am grateful to the Government. In looking through the Bill, I have tried to see that all the points have been covered. I shall continue to do that, as doubtless the Minister and draftsmen will, but I am obliged to the Government for having accepted that important point. It is wrong that people should be convicted of criminal offences when they have acted in what any layman would consider a completely innocent manner.