Scotland

Lord Cormack Excerpts
Thursday 18th October 2012

(12 years ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Strathclyde Portrait Lord Strathclyde
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My Lords, there will be a period of reflection but it will not be very long because we want the Scottish Parliament to get on with it and to set the date and pass the necessary legislation so that we can clear the air in Scotland and get a decisive result at the referendum.

Lord Cormack Portrait Lord Cormack
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My Lords, the agreement says “intelligibility” when it comes to the question, and that begs a question in itself. Can we please make sure that the question is not merely intelligible but that it is not loaded and is entirely unbiased? I do not think that this House or any other should contemplate passing the order unless we are satisfied in that regard.

Lord Strathclyde Portrait Lord Strathclyde
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My Lords, that is precisely the role of the Electoral Commission—to look at the question, to test the various words in it and then to report to the Scottish Parliament as to its intelligibility.