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Political Parties and Elections Bill

My Lords, I welcome the amendment but I have one or two questions for clarification. The Minister referred to the conversations that he had had with the Electoral Commission but I wondered whether he had had any conversations with the Speaker’s Committee or whether he can say what view the committee has expressed on this. Clearly, the amendment will impose an additional responsibility on the Speaker’s Committee, in that the committee will adjudicate on which of the three candidates put forward is the most suitable. Given that some of the candidates put forward will, by their very nature, be senior people in public life or former senior members of political parties—and perhaps even Members of your Lordships’ House—what degree of transparency will there be in the deliberations and the process? It is important that some reassurance is given to senior members that, if they are put forward and rejected, their dignity will to some degree be protected. Other than that, the amendments are to be broadly welcomed.