HL Deb 09 March 1989 vol 504 cc1671-2

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Lyell) rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 16th February be approved. [10th Report from the Joint Committee].

The noble Lord said: My Lords, the effect of this draft order is to increase the limit on the expenses of a candidate at a local election in Northern Ireland from £135 plus 2.8 pence per elector to a new limit of £162 plus 3.2 pence per elector. The present limit was set just before the last local elections in 1985.

The Government believe that it is only reasonable to increase the permitted maximum before this year's elections on 17th May. They do so broadly to take account of changes in the retail prices index and at the same time to bring the limits into line with those which my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has proposed for candidates at local elections in Great Britain.

The main constitutional parties in Northern Ireland were consulted about the proposed increases and all those which responded to our invitation to comment supported the proposal. The order before the House is simple, and I beg to move.

Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 16th February be approved. [10th Report from the Joint Committee.]-(Lord Lyell)

Lord Graham of Edmonton

My Lords, we on this side of the House fully support what the Minister has said. Enabling political parties to finance their campaigns in a sensible manner clearly aids democracy. We wish the order well.

I should like to put a few questions to the Minister. The increase from £135 to £162 is 20 per cent. Has that figure been rounded up or down? The Minister said that it was broadly in line with the rise in inflation. Are we to understand that at every election-in other words, every four years there will be an uplift?

Have any representations been received from political parties indicating that the uplift is needed? The money must be found by the political parties. In order to keep within the bounds of propriety we are merely laying down limits beyond which a sensible campaign should not be fought.

Can the Minister say how the figures compare with those in the rest of the UK? I am ignorant of the extent to which there is a need, although on many occasions I have fought local and national elections in this country and I know that most candidates spend up to the limit. Does the Minister have any statistics showing the extent to which the old limits were needed? How do the figures compare with the amount of money needed to fight elections in Northern Ireland?

I realise that the Minister may be unable to answer those questions tonight. We agree with the sense of what he has done and we shall not oppose the order.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Graham. We know of the great interest he takes in Northern Ireland affairs and after his continual work earlier in the week we salute him for that interest.

The figures I have announced will bring into line the amounts permitted to be spent by candidates in Northern Ireland with the figures elsewhere in the United Kingdom. When those of us who work in Northern Ireland refer to "Great Britain" we refer to England, Scotland and Wales. The figure of £162 plus 3.2 pence tallies with what will exist as a uniform rate throughout the United Kingdom.

We have received no representations from the constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland with whom we communicated as regards an uplift in the rates. However, we believe it is reasonable that candidiates in Northern Ireland should have the same limit on their expenses as those in the rest of the United Kingdom. I understand that the limits of the United Kingdom come before your Lordships' House more frequently than those that I have announced today. At the outset I mentioned that the figures were last set at the local general elections, as they are known in Northern Ireland, when all the councils were re-elected. That was in May 1985. We believe that the figures represent the permitted limits for the elections which will take place throughout Northern Ireland on 17th May this year.

If I receive any further information, or if I have failed to answer any question which the noble Lord asked, I shall write to him briefly and succinctly. I am grateful for his interest, and 1 beg to move.

On Question, Motion agree to.