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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I accept the hon. Gentleman’s logic about voter contact, but the Committee—with, for once, the unanimous support of members of the Democratic Unionist party, the Ulster Unionist party, the Social Democratic and Labour party, the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and other parties—agreed that the annual canvass should be abolished, as provided by clause 2. There was no debate, and the decision was unanimous. The new clause proposes that every household be mailed every year, but that would replicate much of what the annual canvass was designed to achieve.