Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Paragraph: 45
The Government has committed to respecting devolved competence where they are touched upon in this...
Conclusion
The Government has committed to respecting devolved competence where they are touched upon in this Bill. If this were to change, we expect the Committee and the House to be notified of the reasons for such a change in advance of a final vote on the Bill. One of the effects of the Bill would be to create further divergence between the rules for how elections are conducted in different parts of the UK. This is of concern as while some small differences can be accommodated and understood by the UK’s electorates, the increasing number of differences will add to the complexity and potentially to confusion for voters, electoral campaigners and electoral administrators. We are clear that this is not an issue caused by the UK Government alone. The four Governments of the UK should seek to develop a more coordinated approach to electoral policy and law.
Paragraph Reference:
45
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The UK Government is committed to working constructively with the devolved administrations to ensure that elections work well in the best interests of voters, the electoral sector and those regulated by electoral law so that people can remain confident in the outcome of electoral events. UK Government Ministers regularly meet with their counterparts in Scotland and Wales both bilaterally and through the Inter Ministerial Group for Elections and Registration, to discuss matters relating to elections, and officials work closely with relevant teams in the devolved administrations in the development of policy. The measures in the Elections Bill will considerably strengthen the delivery of UK Parliamentary general elections and other reserved polls. For a number of measures contained in the Bill, coherence and consistency across both devolved and reserved polls was considered beneficial to providing electors with clarity and ensuring operability for electoral administrators and those regulated by electoral law. In order to deliver these benefits, we sought legislative consent from the Scottish and Welsh Governments. Given that both the Scottish and Welsh Governments expressed support in principle for a number of areas within the Bill, we are disappointed by their request to remove all aspects which relate to devolved matters. Nevertheless, we are respecting this request by preparing the necessary amendments to the Bill and will bring these changes forward at the earliest opportunity possible. The Welsh and Scottish Governments have taken policy decisions to diverge – such as adopting different electoral systems and franchises in devolved elections – this will invariably mean a different approach to electoral policy and law. Whilst divergence is a natural consequence of devolution, where our Governments agree in principle on a policy approach, we believe it is our responsibility to legislate in such a way that provides the best outcomes for voters, the electoral sector and those regulated by electoral law. To this end, the Government welcomes the indication both the Scottish and Welsh Governments have given that they will consider legislating comparably across a number of areas and UK Ministers remain committed to working closely with their counterparts as they develop their legislative proposals.