As I said when we were discussing Amendment No. 5, we agree with the spirit of what the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, is seeking to do by tabling these amendments. CORE will not change the information that is collected or the people or organisations to whom it may be provided. However, some of...

As I said when we were discussing Amendment No. 5, we agree with the spirit of what the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, is seeking to do by tabling these amendments. CORE will not change the information that is collected or the people or organisations to whom it may be provided. However, some of...

I am grateful to the Minister for that long and comprehensive answer. I hope that when I read it in Hansard I will understand it a little better than when I was listening to her—but that is my fault, not hers. It must be the excitement of marching through the Division Lobby that took my...

I am grateful to the Minister for that long and comprehensive answer. I hope that when I read it in Hansard I will understand it a little better than when I was listening to her—but that is my fault, not hers. It must be the excitement of marching through the Division Lobby that took my...

moved Amendment No. 20:"Page 3, line 18, after ““for”” insert ““redirection to””" The noble Lord said: This brings us to an important part of the Bill. In moving the amendment, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 21. This section of the Bill provides the mechanisms by which the CORE scheme can be used to tackle...

moved Amendment No. 20:"Page 3, line 18, after ““for”” insert ““redirection to””" The noble Lord said: This brings us to an important part of the Bill. In moving the amendment, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 21. This section of the Bill provides the mechanisms by which the CORE scheme can be used to tackle...

Perhaps I may make a short contribution in relation to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours. For many years I represented the constituency of North Cornwall, which now has more second homes than council houses. I can tell the noble Lord and the Committee that the local network is extraordinarily effective in...

Perhaps I may make a short contribution in relation to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours. For many years I represented the constituency of North Cornwall, which now has more second homes than council houses. I can tell the noble Lord and the Committee that the local network is extraordinarily effective in...

As it happened, I won by nine votes in that election. If anybody was going to challenge that result, it would have been the other party. It was the other party that might have benefited from the votes of the second home owners, because, on the whole, they tended to be...

As it happened, I won by nine votes in that election. If anybody was going to challenge that result, it would have been the other party. It was the other party that might have benefited from the votes of the second home owners, because, on the whole, they tended to be...

I suspect that I am anticipating an argument that my side will develop later. We already have a unique personal identifier that saves the expense of an identification card: a national insurance number.

I suspect that I am anticipating an argument that my side will develop later. We already have a unique personal identifier that saves the expense of an identification card: a national insurance number.

I will resist the temptation to get involved in what will be very important part of our Committee deliberations. Noble Lords will know that I am keen that we spend the right amount of time on that, so I will resist all temptations to get involved in that debate. The noble Lord, Lord Norton...

I will resist the temptation to get involved in what will be very important part of our Committee deliberations. Noble Lords will know that I am keen that we spend the right amount of time on that, so I will resist all temptations to get involved in that debate. The noble Lord, Lord Norton...

I will forgive the Minister a great deal if she promises to look at my amendments without condemning them out of hand. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 21 not moved.]

I will forgive the Minister a great deal if she promises to look at my amendments without condemning them out of hand. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 21 not moved.]

moved Amendment No. 26:"Page 4, line 2, leave out ““may pay grant”” and insert ““must make sufficient financial provision available””" The noble Lord said: The amendments in this group are about money. To us, they make common sense. Amendment No. 26 removes Clause 3(4). It seems odd that a grant, which suggests an amount of money that...

moved Amendment No. 26:"Page 4, line 2, leave out ““may pay grant”” and insert ““must make sufficient financial provision available””" The noble Lord said: The amendments in this group are about money. To us, they make common sense. Amendment No. 26 removes Clause 3(4). It seems odd that a grant, which suggests an amount of money that...

I was pretty convinced by the Minister’s arguments on Amendment No. 25. It seemed that she again confirmed one of the matters that we discussed at the beginning of our proceedings today; that is, that the local electoral registers are the basic documents and that the national database is on top of...

I was pretty convinced by the Minister’s arguments on Amendment No. 25. It seemed that she again confirmed one of the matters that we discussed at the beginning of our proceedings today; that is, that the local electoral registers are the basic documents and that the national database is on top of...

Looking at this, I wondered initially whether it was simply a matter of wording—then I wondered if it might be slightly more a matter of principle. We could be talking about a person in the electoral registration office; perhaps the alternative wording that we should consider is ““body””—the particular organisation responsible for...

Looking at this, I wondered initially whether it was simply a matter of wording—then I wondered if it might be slightly more a matter of principle. We could be talking about a person in the electoral registration office; perhaps the alternative wording that we should consider is ““body””—the particular organisation responsible for...

My noble friend raises an interesting point. Part of the purpose of the consultation, in looking at that, is to explore people’s views about the appropriate place for the record to be kept, and whether that fits with the Electoral Commission. My personal view—and this is me—is that it need...

My noble friend raises an interesting point. Part of the purpose of the consultation, in looking at that, is to explore people’s views about the appropriate place for the record to be kept, and whether that fits with the Electoral Commission. My personal view—and this is me—is that it need...

My noble friend referred to the keeper as perhaps being the Electoral Commission. Does that not change the culture of that organisation? Is it the vehicle that one would want to use? Would it not have some knock-on effect within that organisation for it suddenly to become effectively a department?

My noble friend referred to the keeper as perhaps being the Electoral Commission. Does that not change the culture of that organisation? Is it the vehicle that one would want to use? Would it not have some knock-on effect within that organisation for it suddenly to become effectively a department?

I am grateful to the noble Lord. To pick up his earlier point briefly, we debated the fact that, neither of us having legal training, what looks to us like odd language is—I am assured, having taken it back—the correct legal language. It is not so much what the Bill says, because...

I am grateful to the noble Lord. To pick up his earlier point briefly, we debated the fact that, neither of us having legal training, what looks to us like odd language is—I am assured, having taken it back—the correct legal language. It is not so much what the Bill says, because...

We are still trying to get some clarity on this situation. We are creating an important piece of legislation, which I am sure future electoral legislation can be built on. Some of us do not quite get the clarity of it. The Minister has tried to explain it very well—we have...

We are still trying to get some clarity on this situation. We are creating an important piece of legislation, which I am sure future electoral legislation can be built on. Some of us do not quite get the clarity of it. The Minister has tried to explain it very well—we have...

The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, makes a valid point, but if we remove Clause 4, it is not permissive. That is the point and why I am concerned. A future government might take this as a signal that this is not an appropriate responsibility for a public body and they might want to...

The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, makes a valid point, but if we remove Clause 4, it is not permissive. That is the point and why I am concerned. A future government might take this as a signal that this is not an appropriate responsibility for a public body and they might want to...

I am baffled by the argument put forward by the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, because I cannot see what other organisation could take on this responsibility. It is evident that there is a great deal of electoral experience in this Committee. Indeed, many of us have been consumers of the electoral process. I did...

I am baffled by the argument put forward by the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, because I cannot see what other organisation could take on this responsibility. It is evident that there is a great deal of electoral experience in this Committee. Indeed, many of us have been consumers of the electoral process. I did...

moved Amendment No. 38:"Page 5, line 40, leave out ““ERO who acts for”” and insert ““principal local authorities which include””" The noble Lord said: These are fairly important amendments. In moving Amendment No. 38, I shall speak to Amendments Nos. 39 and 40. Amendments Nos. 38 and 39 go together and Amendment No. 40 stands separately, as an addition. This part of the Bill is...

moved Amendment No. 38:"Page 5, line 40, leave out ““ERO who acts for”” and insert ““principal local authorities which include””" The noble Lord said: These are fairly important amendments. In moving Amendment No. 38, I shall speak to Amendments Nos. 39 and 40. Amendments Nos. 38 and 39 go together and Amendment No. 40 stands separately, as an addition. This part of the Bill is...

moved Amendment No. 1:"Page 1, line 5, leave out ““one or more schemes (CORE schemes)”” and insert ““a scheme (CORE scheme)””" The noble Baroness said: First, I thank the Minister for a letter that I received this morning. I am very grateful to her for it; it is helpful to have the information. The amendment is...

moved Amendment No. 1:"Page 1, line 5, leave out ““one or more schemes (CORE schemes)”” and insert ““a scheme (CORE scheme)””" The noble Baroness said: First, I thank the Minister for a letter that I received this morning. I am very grateful to her for it; it is helpful to have the information. The amendment is...

I will certainly try to do that. We were primarily looking to address concerns—raised by the political parties, among others—about the need to access 400-plus different schemes in order to get the information that they needed, and the desire to have one overarching record. Critically, the register remains locally based; people will...

I will certainly try to do that. We were primarily looking to address concerns—raised by the political parties, among others—about the need to access 400-plus different schemes in order to get the information that they needed, and the desire to have one overarching record. Critically, the register remains locally based; people will...