Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill — Special restrictions on referendum expenses by permitted participants — 14 Mar 2000

Amendment made: No. 24, in page 40, line 18, leave out "a" and insert "each".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

I beg to move amendment No. 147, in page 120, line 30, at end add--

'(f) any legal or other professional expenses incurred in respect of, or in connection with, any requirement in this Act.'.

expenses in respect of any property, services or facilities so far as those expenses fall to be met out of public funds . . . remuneration or allowances payable to any member of the permanent staff of the party . . . reasonable expenses incurred in respect of an individual by way of travelling expenses

any legal or other professional expenses incurred in respect of, or in connection with, any requirement in this Act.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn .

Amendment made: No. 25, in page 42, line 17, leave out "£100" and insert "£200".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

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.

Amendment agreed to .

Amendment made: No. 27, in page 43, line 32, leave out "that subsection" and insert "subsection (3)".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

Amendment made: No. 28, in page 44, line 10, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

Amendments made: No. 29, in page 44, line 29, after "if", insert "without reasonable excuse".

No. 30, in page 44, line 31, leave out ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

Amendments made: No. 31, in page 45, line 1, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".

No. 32, in page 45, line 34, leave out first "the" and insert "any".

No. 33, in page 45, line 35, at end insert--

'(za) in which is situated the office of the treasurer, deputy treasurer or (as the case may be) other authorised person to whom the claim is sent pursuant to subsection (1) or;'.-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

Amendment made: No. 34, in page 48, line 38, after "if," insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

Amendment made: No. 35, in page 51, line 5, leave out "£100" and insert "£200".-- [Mrs. McGuire.]

I beg to move amendment No. 36, in page 52, line 18, leave out from "which" to "complies" in line 24.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 135 and 37 to 40.

the name of the association,

the address of an office of the association in the United Kingdom--

Amendment agreed to.

Amendments made: No. 135, in page 52, line 25, at end insert--

Amendment made: No. 41, in page 54, line 9, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendments made: No. 42, in page 54, line 27, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".

No. 43, in page 54, line 29, leave out ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 44, in page 54, line 40, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

I beg to move amendment No. 45, in page 56, line 2, leave out--

', in connection with relevant elections falling within section 72(1),'.

There would be considerable practical difficulties in imposing annual spending limits.

candidates who hold . . . particular opinions.

Amendment agreed to .

Amendments made: No. 105, in page 140, line 5, leave out--

Amendments made: No. 49, in page 57, line 42, at end insert--

'(4A) Subsections (2) to (4) do not apply to any controlled expenditure incurred at any time during the regulated period before the third party became a recognised third party, but the return must be accompanied by a declaration made by the responsible person of the total amount of such expenditure incurred at any such time.'.

No. 50, in page 57, line 44, at end insert--

'(5A) Where subsection (1)(a) applies in relation to a recognised third party and any regulated period--

(a) the requirements as to the preparation of a return under this section in respect of controlled expenditure falling within subsection (1)(a) shall have effect in relation to the third party despite the third party ceasing to be a recognised third party at or after the end of the regulated period by virtue of the lapse of the third party's notification under section 81(1); and

(b) for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of obligations of the responsible person under this section and sections 91 and 92 in relation to any such return, references to the responsible person shall be read as references to the person who was the responsible person in relation to the third party immediately before that notification lapsed.'.

No. 51, in page 58, line 2, leave out--

'; and section 87(6) applies for the purposes of this section'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 52, in page 58, leave out line 15.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 53, in page 58, line 34, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendments made: No. 54, in page 58, line 42, after "party", insert "during a regulated period".

No. 55, in page 59, line 8, leave out "relevant campaign" and insert "regulated".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 56, in page 59, line 31, at end insert--

'(1A) If the return contains a statement of relevant donations in accordance with section 89(2)(d), the Commission shall secure that the copy of the statement made available for public inspection does not include, in the case of any donation by an individual, the donor's address.'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 57, in page 61, line 33, after "referendum", insert--

'to which this Part applies'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

I beg to move amendment No. 58, in page 62, leave out lines 1 to 7 and insert--

'(b) any of the following by whom a notification has been given under section 99 in relation to the referendum, namely--

(i) any individual,

(ii) any company falling within section 48(2)(b), and

(iii) any unincorporated association of such a description as is mentioned in section 48(2)(f).'.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment made: No. 59, in page 63, line 5, at end insert--

'(4A) If at any time before the end of the compliance period any of the statements which, in accordance with any provision of subsection (4), are contained in a notification under this section (as it has effect for the time being) ceases to be accurate, the permitted participant by whom the notification was given shall give the Commission a notification ("a notification of alteration") indicating that that statement is replaced by some other statement--

(a) contained in the notification of alteration, and

(b) conforming with that provision of subsection (4).

(4B) For the purposes of subsection (4A) "the compliance period" is the period during which any provisions of Chapter II remain to be complied with on the part of the permitted participant.'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendments made: No. 60, in page 63, line 16, leave out subsection (3).

No. 61, in page 63, line 19, after "cause", insert--

'(a)''.

No. 62, in page 63, line 20, after "register", insert ", or

(b) in the case of a notification under section 99(4A), any change required as a consequence of the notification to be made in the register,'.

No. 63, in page 63, line 21, at end insert--

'(5) The information to be entered in the register in respect of a permitted participant who is an individual shall, however, not include his home address.'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 109, in page 144, line 19, leave out from "organisations," to end of line 21.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 64, in page 65, line 13, after "referendum", insert--

'to which this Part applies'.-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

I beg to move amendment No. 110, in page 146, leave out lines 5 to 11.

Mr. Deputy Speaker:

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Amendment No. 182, in page 69, line 11, leave out Clause 111.

their elected representatives or existing or prospective candidates.

any expenses incurred in respect of unsolicited material addressed to party members.

It is not immediately clear why it is right to exclude the expenses when one sends unsolicited material to party members, but include them when one sends unsolicited material to supporters of a referendum campaign.

if, as we have agreed, it is right and practical to control spending at major general elections, it is right and practical to control spending in referendum campaigns.

To represent referendum campaigns as merely another manifestation of the usual party political battle seems to us both misconceived in principle and false to the history of referendums since 1975.

We believe that it is simply undesirable to have referendums bought by those who are able to pay the largest sums.--[ Official Report , 16 February 2000; Vol. 344, c. 1038-39.]

He made a very good speech and raised some forensic points, which deserve much consideration. I should like to consider at greater length some of the finer aspects of the issues that he raised and perhaps write to him on some of them.

I should like to consider further some of the hon. Gentleman's points, which may deserve some closer thought. . . They suggest that he is right: if that happens, perhaps we will need further legislation to clarify some of the issues."--[ Official Report , 16 February 2000; Vol. 344, c. 1037-38.]

a truly generic referendums Bill--[ Official Report , 10 January 2000; Vol. 342, c. 113.]

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment made: No. 65, in page 67, line 1, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendments made: No. 66, in page 67, line 19, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".

No. 67, in page 67, line 21, leave out "without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment made: No. 68, in page 67, line 31, after "if", insert ", without reasonable excuse,".-- [Mr. Mike Hall.]

Amendment proposed: No. 182, in page 69, line 11, leave out clause 111.-- [Sir G. Young.]

Question put, That the amendment be made:--

The House divided: Ayes 139, Noes 315.

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