§ 27. Mr. LintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plan to hold a referendum on the voting system for elections to the House. [151729]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Government remain committed to holding a referendum on the voting system, but no decisions have been made as to its timing, or the question to be asked.
§ 28. Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the arrangements his Department makes for administering referendums. [151730]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienSection 128 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 provides that the chairman of the Electoral Commission (or a person appointed by him) is to be the chief counting officer in any national or regional referendum to which part VII of the Act applies (save in the case of a referendum held in Northern Ireland only where the chief electoral officer is designated chief counting officer). It will be for the chief counting officer and the Electoral Commission to oversee the conduct of a referendum poll in accordance with an order made under section 129 of the Act.