HL Deb 04 March 1980 vol 406 cc153-5

3.22 p.m.

The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Belstead) rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 26th February, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, this order seeks to raise the maximum sums which may be spent by candidates in local elections in order to compensate for inflation since March, 1977, when they were last fixed. We are introducing the order now in order that the changes may come into effect in good time before the local elections due on 1st May in all 36 Metropolitan districts and over 100 non-Metropolitan districts in England and Wales, and all Scottish districts.

In the past noble Lords may recall that primary legislation has been required for this purpose, but the Representation of the People Act 1978, which was introduced by the last Government, allows candidates' expenses limits to be increased by order to the extent justified by inflation. The political parties represented at Westminster and local authority associations have been consulted about this proposed increase, and they are all agreed that an increase to the full extent justified by inflation is desirable. For all local elections, except those to the Greater London council, therefore, the current limit on candidates' expenses, which is £72 plus 1..5p per registered elector for the area, will be increased by this order to £100 plus 2p per elector. In a typical county council electoral district with 5,000 electors, this means an increase from £147 to £200a rise of some 36 per cent. In smaller district wards or parishes the increase is proportionately slightly larger. It amounts, for example, to 38 per cent. in an area with 1,000 electors. This increase is closely in line with inflation in the period since March 1977.

Candidates' election expenses in ward elections in the City of London are customarily subject to the same limit as that applying to local elections generally. The order accordingly proposes an increase in the limit for these elections identical to that for other local elections. The order-making power also extends to the expenses of candidates in elections of' certain City of London officers by City liverymen in common hall, and this maximum is raised from £600 to £750, in line with inflation since March 1978, when it was last fixed.

The draft order does not propose an increase in the limit applying to candidates' expenses at GLC elections, which, at £320 plus 2p per elector, are considerably higher than those for other elections. The elections for the whole of the Greater London Council are not due until next year, and it seems more sensible to make the necessary changes in the GLC limit in the light of circumstances early next year. I commend to your Lordships this limited but important measure, which will ensure that candidates in this year's local elections can effectively put their case to the electorate. I beg to move.

Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 26th February, be approved. —(Lord Belstead.)

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord the Minister for his customary lucidity and clarity in explaining these statutory instruments. If I may say so, he always discloses a great deal more than one finds in the statutory instrument itself, which, of course, is extremely important if we are to understand the purpose of the order.

I do not think that there is any need for me to take up the time of your Lordships' House, other than to say that as the joint committee dealing with statutory instruments and draft statutory instruments found nothing in this order to draw to your Lordships' attention, it must, therefore, have met with their approval. I simply conclude again by thanking the noble Lord for the explanation that he has given.

On Question, Motion agreed to.