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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

I had not finished my points, if the hon. Gentleman would allow me. I was not trying to underplay the situation, but to put the problem in context. The commission report also states that the main factors were:"““Evidence of poor planning assumptions…Use of unsuitable buildings and inadequate staffing arrangements””" and that"““Contingency arrangements…were not properly triggered””" when queues built up. Returning officers are supposed to have contingency arrangements in place to deal with unexpected demand, and to be able to move people about. It was clear from the Electoral Commission's research that, in the areas where there were problems, there had been inadequate planning. There clearly was an issue therefore, and we must put it in context, but the key is how we then deal with it. We have to ensure that any changes made to the rules are workable. My hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen and Rowley Regis (James Morris) put his finger on one reason why this is not as simple as it sounds. As soon as we start talking about there being queues and people presenting themselves to vote, issues arise. For instance, any queue will have to be managed so that people cannot present themselves after the end of the vote. This is not as simple as it sounds therefore, and in trying to solve what is a real problem—albeit one that was not as enormous as it could have been, although I take on board the point of the hon. Member for Luton North (Kelvin Hopkins)—we do not want to create further problems. The Government are considering the Electoral Commission's report and looking at what steps are necessary to prevent a repeat of these events. I am not convinced that the hon. Gentleman's amendment offers the right solution, however.