§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord President of the Council, if a majority of the votes cast in either Orkney or Shetland votes "No" in the proposed referendum for a Scottish Assembly, but the proportion of the electorate voting "No" in such an instance is less than 40 per cent. of those entitled to vote, and in circumstances where over 40 per cent. of those entitled to vote in Scotland as a whole have voted "Yes", if he will take steps to exclude either of these areas from the provisions of the Act.
§ Mr. FootClause 80(3) of the Scotland Bill requires the Secretary of State to lay an order to that effect if a simple majority in either Orkney or Shetland votes "No".
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord President of the Council, if a majority of the people of Orkney and/or Shetland votes "No" in the forthcoming referendum on Scottish devolution whether the electorates of those Islands will be included in the total Scottish electorate for determining whether or not 40 per cent. of those entitled to vote have voted "Yes" in Scotland as a whole.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord President of the Council what will be his instructions to returning officers in the forthcoming referenda on devolution, concerning spoilt ballot papers, since under the provisions of the Scotland Bill, as amended, a "Yes" voter who inadvertently spoils his paper will be counted as a "No" vote if the turnout is less than 80 per cent.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Lord President of the Council (1) if the Government will reconsider their decision not to publish a leaflet to every household outlining the issues involved in the devolution referenda, in view of the fundamental change in the concept of the referendum recently introduced into the Scotland Bill;
214W(2) what plans he has to meet the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to discuss with him the provision in the Scotland Bill that dead men's abstentions will be counted as "No" votes unless specific provision is made to exclude them;
(3) what steps he proposes to take to identify persons who are on the electoral register in more than one location in Scotland and Wales for the purposes of the proposed referenda on Scottish and Welsh Assemblies;
(4) what proposals he has for accepting proxy voting on the day of the referendum on the Government's devolution Bill, on behalf of those wishing to vote but prevented from doing so by illness incurred after the closing date for postal votes, since without such a provision sick persons wishing to register a "Yes" vote may be counted as "No" if the poll falls below 80 per cent.;
(5) if he will give a definition of the term "entitled to vote" which now appears in the referendum provisions of the Scotland Bill which stands in his name;
(6) what steps the Government intend to take to explain to the electorate in Scotland, and possibly in Wales, that in the light of the required 40 per cent. threshold an abstention in the forthcoming referendum on devolution will in effect count against the proposed devolution of power;
(7) under what circumstances, and with what proportion of the estimated electorate voting "Yes" or "No", he should recommend the House of Commons to reject an order for the repealing of the Scotland Bill.
§ Mr. FootI have noted the hon. Gentleman's suggestions and will bear them in mind. We are carefully considering all aspects of the matter which is causing him concern.