My Lords, in our parliamentary new world, I would like to talk about one area of work already trailed by the noble Lords, Lord Filkin and Lord Rooker, and on which the House, through its working groups, prompted by the Lord Speaker, have already done a great deal of work....

My Lords, in our parliamentary new world, I would like to talk about one area of work already trailed by the noble Lords, Lord Filkin and Lord Rooker, and on which the House, through its working groups, prompted by the Lord Speaker, have already done a great deal of work....

We at least owe it to the Minister to thank her for explaining that, rather than ““Changing governance arrangements””, this is the ““Brighton and Hove”” clause. I was utterly confused by how one could become ineligible when one had the same population or possibly a difference of one person, and...

We at least owe it to the Minister to thank her for explaining that, rather than ““Changing governance arrangements””, this is the ““Brighton and Hove”” clause. I was utterly confused by how one could become ineligible when one had the same population or possibly a difference of one person, and...

Rather as my noble friend Lady Scott said, I am slightly hesitant in making a point about reducing choice. But if something is so innovative that it requires the unusual step of needing a two-thirds majority, it calls into question even more the Henry VIII powers to which my noble...

Rather as my noble friend Lady Scott said, I am slightly hesitant in making a point about reducing choice. But if something is so innovative that it requires the unusual step of needing a two-thirds majority, it calls into question even more the Henry VIII powers to which my noble...

Our Amendment No. 159C is grouped with Amendment No. 116 and has exactly the same effect. I hope that it is reassuring that we are coming up with the same points without rehearsal. That shows consistency on our Benches, at any rate. Our Amendment No. 149A concerns what is to...

Our Amendment No. 159C is grouped with Amendment No. 116 and has exactly the same effect. I hope that it is reassuring that we are coming up with the same points without rehearsal. That shows consistency on our Benches, at any rate. Our Amendment No. 149A concerns what is to...

I am sorry to come in again but I think it is useful to keep clearing these issues out of the way, even if there are people in this Chamber who wish we would move on. First, on planning, presumably it is the executive who lead on plan-making even if...

I am sorry to come in again but I think it is useful to keep clearing these issues out of the way, even if there are people in this Chamber who wish we would move on. First, on planning, presumably it is the executive who lead on plan-making even if...

Do the executive have the powers to make the plan, rather than it being a matter for the whole council?

Do the executive have the powers to make the plan, rather than it being a matter for the whole council?

We are grateful for that and will have a good read of it. We will come later to parts of the Bill that relate to this. I have one question and one request. Am I right in thinking, from what the Minister has said, that different candidates could be standing...

We are grateful for that and will have a good read of it. We will come later to parts of the Bill that relate to this. I have one question and one request. Am I right in thinking, from what the Minister has said, that different candidates could be standing...

I am sure that we will continue this subject through the subsequent stages of this Bill. The noble Lord, Lord Graham, suggested that I wrote down ““Too soon to change””, and then I wrote ““Exactly!””— for the benefit of Hansard, there is an exclamation mark after that. My noble friend...

I am sure that we will continue this subject through the subsequent stages of this Bill. The noble Lord, Lord Graham, suggested that I wrote down ““Too soon to change””, and then I wrote ““Exactly!””— for the benefit of Hansard, there is an exclamation mark after that. My noble friend...

It is a great pity if the Government have not consulted those who actually set up the practical arrangements for elections, because it shows that that sort of issue was not in the Government’s mind. If I may say so, that is fairly typical of the situation in which we...

It is a great pity if the Government have not consulted those who actually set up the practical arrangements for elections, because it shows that that sort of issue was not in the Government’s mind. If I may say so, that is fairly typical of the situation in which we...

Before my noble friend does that, I think that the Minister might have something to say.

Before my noble friend does that, I think that the Minister might have something to say.

moved Amendment No. 113: 113: Clause 62, page 33, line 6, leave out subsection (2) The noble Baroness said: I will also speak to Amendments Nos. 113A and 125. This group, which also contains Amendments Nos. 121A and 126, covers two separate issues. I apologise to the Committee if I...

moved Amendment No. 113: 113: Clause 62, page 33, line 6, leave out subsection (2) The noble Baroness said: I will also speak to Amendments Nos. 113A and 125. This group, which also contains Amendments Nos. 121A and 126, covers two separate issues. I apologise to the Committee if I...

The debate provoked more involvement than I expected, but I am glad of that. The noble Lord, Lord Graham, suggests that we should rely on the good sense of the local authority. I shall not go down the road of debating with him whether every authority is full of good...

The debate provoked more involvement than I expected, but I am glad of that. The noble Lord, Lord Graham, suggests that we should rely on the good sense of the local authority. I shall not go down the road of debating with him whether every authority is full of good...

Before my noble friend responds, perhaps I may ask whether the Government have consulted the Association of Electoral Administrators, which, quite separately from the Electoral Commission, might well have comments to make about the sort of practical points that I raised.

Before my noble friend responds, perhaps I may ask whether the Government have consulted the Association of Electoral Administrators, which, quite separately from the Electoral Commission, might well have comments to make about the sort of practical points that I raised.

We might find that we are talking about three sets of elections: European, local and even more local in the shape of parish councils, just to pick up the noble Lord’s point. I had not appreciated until quite recently just how much preparation is required by the returning officer and...

We might find that we are talking about three sets of elections: European, local and even more local in the shape of parish councils, just to pick up the noble Lord’s point. I had not appreciated until quite recently just how much preparation is required by the returning officer and...

moved Amendment No. 100: 100: Clause 59, page 30, line 12, at end insert— ““( ) The meeting required by subsection (2) shall not be held unless the authority has given not less than two months’ notice of the proposal or proposals.”” The noble Baroness said: This amendment takes us...

moved Amendment No. 100: 100: Clause 59, page 30, line 12, at end insert— ““( ) The meeting required by subsection (2) shall not be held unless the authority has given not less than two months’ notice of the proposal or proposals.”” The noble Baroness said: This amendment takes us...

moved Amendment No. 88: 88: Clause 53, page 26, line 25, leave out subsection (3) The noble Baroness said: The business managers should provide the mover of the first amendment after Questions with some standard form of wording that would show all the proper courtesies but allow the House a...

moved Amendment No. 88: 88: Clause 53, page 26, line 25, leave out subsection (3) The noble Baroness said: The business managers should provide the mover of the first amendment after Questions with some standard form of wording that would show all the proper courtesies but allow the House a...

I do not think that my noble friend was being frivolous either in tabling the amendment or in asking the question. It is just the sort of thing that lawyers can spend a lot of time on and build up a lot of fees over, if there is a problem....

I do not think that my noble friend was being frivolous either in tabling the amendment or in asking the question. It is just the sort of thing that lawyers can spend a lot of time on and build up a lot of fees over, if there is a problem....

I thank the noble Baroness. The answer to my amendment seems to be that that is what we do now. I do not have any sense that the Government have considered the alternative scenario that I put forward, unless, following on from what my noble friend said, they think that...

I thank the noble Baroness. The answer to my amendment seems to be that that is what we do now. I do not have any sense that the Government have considered the alternative scenario that I put forward, unless, following on from what my noble friend said, they think that...

My Lords, I support my noble friend, which is possibly not a surprise because I think that my name is on one of the amendments to which he referred. The Minister in responding to a similar amendment in Committee challenged the notion that after two or three terms one might...

My Lords, I support my noble friend, which is possibly not a surprise because I think that my name is on one of the amendments to which he referred. The Minister in responding to a similar amendment in Committee challenged the notion that after two or three terms one might...

My Lords, I shall pick up points that were made in Grand Committee on the same amendment. Would the noble Lord consider it appropriate to view the strategy, as it is described in the amendment, as a statement of good practice? Might not different strategies or different consultation processes be...

My Lords, I shall pick up points that were made in Grand Committee on the same amendment. Would the noble Lord consider it appropriate to view the strategy, as it is described in the amendment, as a statement of good practice? Might not different strategies or different consultation processes be...