Elections: AV Referendum and Scottish Parliament

Lord Maclennan of Rogart Excerpts

Tuesday 20th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wallace of Tankerness]

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to clarify the position, because I have had the benefit of seeing the letter from Mr Tom Aitchison, the board convener, and have not had to rely just on press reports. In that letter Mr Aitchison indicates that he would encourage the UK Government to amend the order for the Scottish Parliament elections to allow a combined poll to be held. Under the current rules, under the order of 2007, it is not possible for that to happen. However, he goes on to say:

“Allowing a formal combination of polls, for the referendum and parliamentary elections, would have many advantages both for the voter and the electoral administrators”.

We were already seized of that, and it will be addressed in the forthcoming legislation to pave the way for the referendum and the alternative vote. I would only add that the noble Lord—whom I welcome to this House, having served with him in the other place—whipped the Scotland Act, which makes provision for the Scottish election polls to be combined with a poll for another election. It does not allow them to be combined with a poll for a referendum, but that is what the forthcoming legislation will seek to do.

[Lord Maclennan of Rogart]

My Lords, has my noble friend had an opportunity to consider the possible coincidence in timing of the elections to the Scottish Parliament and the general election to the United Kingdom Parliament in 1915? Would that require some alteration of our legislation?

[Lord Wallace of Tankerness]

My Lords, I am sure that my noble friend meant 2015—1915 is beyond my abilities. He makes a very important point. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has already written to the First Minister, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, the other political leaders in Scotland, the Electoral Commission and election administrators to say that he is prepared to discuss this issue with them. I can assure my noble friend and the House that my right honourable friend will listen constructively to what they have to say on the coincidence of elections, as a result of fixed-term Parliaments, in 2015 and every 20 years thereafter.