Official Report 515KB pdf
Agenda item 2 is consideration of stage 2 amendments to the Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Bill. I welcome to the meeting Jim Mather, the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, who is accompanied by Scottish Government officials Stephen Sadler, head of the elections team; Fiona Campbell, policy executive; and Deborah Blair, solicitor.
Amendment 1, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendment 2.
The bill sets out to extend the Electoral Commission’s remit to include local government elections in Scotland. However, we do not intend to confer a greater range of responsibilities for elections in Scotland than that which exists for England and Wales. Since the bill’s introduction, the commission’s function of promoting awareness of systems of local government has been removed under the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 and amendments 1 and 2 are necessary to reflect the fact that it no longer has an education function in relation to local government systems that could be extended to include local government systems in Scotland.
Amendment 3, in the name of the minister, is in a group on its own.
Amendment 3 is a technical amendment that seeks to enable any issues arising as a result of the Electoral Commission’s work in relation to Scottish local government elections to be considered by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman rather than by the United Kingdom ombudsman. It does not amend the bill’s purpose or any of its substantive provisions.
That ends stage 2 consideration of the bill. I thank the minister.
Next
Electoral Management