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Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2007

I have two brief points. First, we understand why the order has been introduced. It has been brought forward to be in place before the proposed Assembly election in March this year. If the Assembly election does not take place in March, will these new election expenses apply at a later date at a subsequent Assembly election? Secondly, I put this down as a marker. I still believe that there is confusion, certainly a grey area, about election expenses in a proportional representation election to the Northern Ireland Assembly. For example, a party could select three candidates to contest the election in the constituency and divide that constituency into four areas. The political party could say, ““You will go into area A, the second candidate will go into area B, the third candidate will go into area C and all three of you will share the fourth area D””. There would still be confusion about how the election expenses would be divided. I am not asking for an answer to that, but I am placing it on the record.