Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill
(2 days, 15 hours ago)
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Lord Murphy of Torfaen
That the Bill be now read a second time.
Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab)
My Lords, in England, if you vote at any election, whether it is for Parliament, a local authority, a mayor or a police commissioner, you can apply for a postal or proxy vote online. In Wales and Scotland, you can vote having applied online only for parliamentary or, in Wales, for police commissioner, elections; there is no facility for applying online for a postal vote or a proxy vote for elections to the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Senedd or to local authorities in Scotland and Wales. What happened was that, when the Elections Act 2022 was going through its stages in both Houses, neither the Welsh Senedd nor the Scottish Parliament gave legislative approval for that Bill, for various reasons that your Lordships will probably recall. The consequence was that the ability of Welsh and Scottish electors to apply online for postal votes was not passed. This Bill will ensure that that anomaly is overcome—and it is absolutely vital, because it is very important that people in this digital age can apply for votes online.
Bizarrely, some 10 or so years ago, the then Prime Minister decided to make me the Minister for Digital Inclusion. It was a particularly odd appointment, alongside my being Welsh Secretary. But it was very interesting, and I discovered and learned a lot—how in those days 17 million people were not online. In this digital age, being able to apply online for a postal or proxy vote has become infinitely more important, to such an extent that in the last general election, of 2024, 84% of those who applied for postal votes in Great Britain did so online, as did 93% of those who applied for proxy votes.
The provision for online voting is made by the United Kingdom digital service, run by the United Kingdom Government, which is why we are debating this issue here in this Chamber and why it is not being debated initially in the Chambers of the Welsh Senedd or Scottish Parliament.
The Bill is supported by all the parties, and it is obviously supported by the United Kingdom Government. It has the backing of the Electoral Commission and, most significantly, it is supported by the Welsh and Scottish Governments. The Bill was sponsored in the other place by my honourable friend Tracy Gilbert, the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith. It passed its Third Reading on 4 July 2025.
The Bill has three main provisions. First, the Scottish and Welsh Governments can bring forward regulations to enable electors to apply for postal and proxy votes online, using the United Kingdom digital service, which is a reserved issue. Powers would be given to Scotland and Wales to make secondary legislation to include an identity verification recommendation, which would be the national insurance number—or, if that cannot be used, alternative evidence. It will align postal voting cycles; electors will have to reapply for postal or proxy votes every three years, with renewals for devolved elections matching the reserved elections.
That is the basis of the Bill in front of us this morning. I shall briefly go through each clause—it is a very short Bill, as noble Lords can see. Clause 1 will enable regulations to be made that would allow electors in Scotland and Wales to make and submit applications online for absent voter arrangements for local elections using the UK digital service. Therefore, if you were voting for a Scottish or a Welsh council, this clause allows you to apply for postal votes online. To support this integration of absent voting applications for Scottish and Welsh local government elections into the UK digital service, it enables regulations to be made that will apply the same identity checking requirements used in reserved absent voting applications to devolved voting applications. Noble Lords will have heard me say that it is the national insurance number that will be the usual identification there. Clause 1 will also enable a route for any elector who is unable, for whatever reason, to provide a national insurance number to submit documentary evidence to confirm their identity.
The clause amends the time for which postal voting arrangements for local elections remain valid in Scotland and Wales. Postal voting arrangements are currently potentially indefinite, with a signature refresh requirement of five years for local and devolved parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. This will now align it with the rest of the United Kingdom, so it will be set at a maximum of three years before the elector has to reapply. This is important for electors, obviously, who would find it confusing and inconvenient to have different postal voting arrangements lengths for different types of elections.
Amendments were made in Committee in the Commons to Clause 1 to enable Ministers of the Scottish and Welsh Governments to make transitional provisions for proxy voting arrangements for devolved local government elections.
Clause 2 enables regulations to be made to allow people to apply online for a postal or proxy vote for the elections to the Scottish Parliament. As the digital service is reserved to the United Kingdom, those provisions also ensure that Scottish Ministers may not make regulations under this clause without the agreement of a Minister of the Crown, where those provisions relate to the UK digital service. I understand that there have been extensive discussions between the Governments of Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom on this aspect—I cannot see any difficulty on this in times ahead. Clause 3 does the same for the Welsh Senedd.
Clause 4 will provide for commencement and inserts a power to make a transitional or saving provision. That power allows provision to be made to align the expiry dates of postal voting arrangements of a person where they already hold a postal vote for both UK parliamentary and devolved elections and provides for the ending of existing postal voting entitlements for devolved elections. In some very limited cases, it may be necessary to end existing postal vote arrangements for devolved elections. Finally, Clause 5 refers to the territorial extent and name of the Bill.
When this Bill receives Royal Assent, it will then go to Edinburgh and Cardiff so that the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd Cymru can pass their own regulations. There are ongoing discussions with the devolved Governments about the timeframe for those changes. It is my sincere and earnest hope that, in Scotland and Wales in May next year, people will be able to apply online for postal and proxy votes for the hugely important elections in those two countries. I beg to move.
Lord Hayward (Con)
My Lords, I first voted in favour of Sunday opening in Pembrokeshire many years ago. I could attempt the Welsh; I think I would probably get it correct, but I fear that there are others here who might be more precise on the pronunciation. I was then a parliamentary candidate in Carmarthen—my first effort to get elected to this Palace. I might describe myself as having come a distant extra.
I echo the comments of the noble Lord in introducing his Bill; I also hope it will reach the statute book and can be fully operational in time for the important elections next year. I echo the comments of Paul Holmes in the other place that it is
“a sensible and timely move to enhance voter access and uphold the integrity of our electoral system”.—[Official Report, Commons, 4/7/25; col. 595.]
That is a good summary of the Bill.
I will make only two comments on this legislation, one addressed to the Government and the other a broader comment on the process of Private Members’ Bills. The PACAC report HC 487 says in its opening summary:
“There is a clear consensus in our evidence around the necessity and benefits of simplification and consolidation of electoral law. We are concerned that the Government do not share this view and so have called on them to make their position clear”.
I think we will hear comments from all around the Chamber today advocating that electoral law is a mess at the moment and should be substantially consolidated as soon as possible. I welcome this legislation because it is a small step in that direction.
My other comment is addressed more to the authorities of this House and the Commons. Most Members are not aware that when Private Members’ Bills from this House complete the process here, they go to the bottom of the pile of the overall process in the Commons. When Private Members’ Bills come here from the other place, they go to the top of the pile. The authorities in this House try to make sure that Private Members’ Bills have completed their stages as much as possible so that, before we start receiving legislation from the other place, there is no interruption of our efforts, but it makes it virtually impossible for Private Members’ Bills from this House to become law. I am fortunate in that I was the last Member of this place to have got a piece of legislation—an electoral law change, the Ballot Secrecy Act—on to the statute book, but it is much more difficult from this House. I encourage all the authorities involved to look at this anomaly by which we are treated disadvantageously in relation to Private Members’ legislation.
I support the Bill and hope it makes rapid progress through this House on to the statute book because, as the noble Lord said, it is important that these changes are in full operation for the elections next year.
Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd (CB)
My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Murphy of Torfaen, and congratulate him on bringing this Bill so speedily before this House. Now that Wales has much better digital services and the young use digital means in preference to postal and other services, it is a timely measure. I wish to make two comments.
First, we ought to congratulate those in the other place, particularly Tracy Gilbert, on getting this Bill into such good shape. It shows that that House is capable of doing something that normally has to be done in this place. That is a lesson to be learned. The other place really does deserve congratulations.
Secondly, and a point which flows from that, we ought to show that we can do our bit to get legislation speedily through. We have to go through each part of the processes, because that is essential for its constitutional integrity, but it seems to me that if there is really very little to be done, this ought to be done quickly. The reason for that is that this needs to be law by the end of October. It is traditional to allow at least a month off for Christmas, which is realistic though maybe not desirable, and so if this is to be in effect in time for the Senedd elections in Wales and the parliamentary elections in Edinburgh, it must be passed. Can we as a House match what the other place has done?
Baroness Curran (Lab)
I strongly welcome this opportunity to speak in support of the Bill introduced by my honourable friend Tracy Gilbert. As has been said, and I am sure we all agree, it is vital to ensure that all electors are able to participate in the process and choose those who represent them. While many people will continue to vote in person, there are those who face challenges that make this difficult or even impossible. Absent voting arrangements—the option to vote via post or proxy—are vital.
As has been said, currently, voters in UK Parliament elections can make use of the online absent vote application process, alongside the traditional paper application process. So too can voters in England and Wales, I think, to vote for police and crime commissioners, and it can be used in all local government elections in England. However, voters in Scotland and Wales do not have that option in devolved elections, which puts them at a disadvantage and can mean some voter confusion.
This Bill gives the Scottish and Welsh Governments powers to regulate to allow absent voting applications to be made online in devolved elections. This will cover both postal and proxy votes enabled through the use of the UK digital service. Given the proximity and profile of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, this is an important Bill which provides the key means to address the confusion and inconsistencies that could potentially face voters in Scotland and Wales. My understanding is that, if the Bill is passed within the timeframe, it will give those involved in the delivery of elections, and those participating, enough time to manage such processes.
I take the opportunity to pay tribute to Tracy Gilbert MP, whose work I know well. She is thorough, extremely competent and assiduous, which is clearly evident in her handling of this legislation. She has consulted widely and has the support of key electoral stakeholders, including the Electoral Reform Society. Furthermore, this Bill has cross-party support. I am pleased to note the respect for devolution that runs through this legislation and in the handling of it. I am particularly pleased to emphasise the positive co-operation and agreement between the UK and Scottish Governments. That has not always been the case, but it is happening now, and this enables us to be confident in the handling and content of the legislation.
Moreover, as the noble Lord said, the Bill includes alignment of postal voting cycles across devolved and reserved elections, and the alignment of identity verification requirements, all of which improves consistency and efficiency. This ultimately leads to improved electoral arrangements and voter experiences, which can only assist in greater voter participation. I reiterate my support and thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Murphy, and Tracy Gilbert. These are necessary steps that have to be taken and which, I hope, can be implemented in time for the important elections in 2026.
Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)
My Lords, as introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Murphy, this Bill has a simple yet important aim: to make it easier for voters in Wales and Scotland to apply for postal and proxy voting. It achieves this by giving the Welsh and Scottish Governments the necessary powers to bring forward regulations for devolved elections. In my brief remarks today, I will focus on Wales.
The use of postal voting in Wales has continued to rise. At the 2021 Senedd election, over 458,000 postal votes were issued—an increase of 16% since 2016. This demonstrates a clear and growing demand for greater flexibility in how people vote. Yet significant challenges remain. In 2023, the Electoral Commission found that nearly 400,000 people in Wales were either incorrectly registered or missing entirely from the electoral register. This appears to be a consequence of an outdated system that disadvantages certain groups, particularly young people, private renters and those who have recently moved. This is especially concerning in Wales, where the franchise has rightly been extended to include 16 and 17 year-olds in Senedd and local elections. The ability to register online for absent voting could alleviate some of this, and that is why I support this Bill. However, I believe we should go further.
In May 2022, 16 and 17 year-olds were able to vote in local elections in Wales for the first time, yet around only one in five registered and turnout among the under-35s was the lowest of all age groups. I return to a point I have raised with the Minister before. As this Government plan to introduce votes at 16 in England too, why not introduce a national voter registration day to mark this important alignment across all parts of the UK? This could be targeted at young people, perhaps during registration class in schools and colleges. If registering to vote takes less than five minutes, why not take five minutes in school to do just that? Previously, the Minister kindly said he would look into this, so I would be grateful to hear if he has given it further thought.
Of course, this must be part of a wider improvement to citizenship education, so that younger people understand not just how to vote but why their vote matters, how to identify misinformation and how to hold decision-makers to account. I certainly enjoy playing my part in this through the Learn with the Lords programme, and we all have a duty to encourage participation in our democracy.
Taking this further, Wales is already trialling automatic voter registration. The pilot scheme is currently underway in Gwynedd, Newport and Powys, testing how automatic voter registration could help reach vulnerable and underregistered groups, including those needing to register anonymously. Scotland has moved in this direction as part of a recent Bill which includes provision to fund the introduction of automatic voter registration at schools, colleges and universities. The UK Labour’s general election manifesto included a commitment to improve voter registration. Will the Minister outline the Government’s current position on automatic voter registration?
To conclude, this Bill represents a simple and positive step towards improving access to democracy in our devolved nations by removing the unnecessary hurdles and enabling Governments to modernise voting procedures. I support this Bill and hope the House will do the same.
Lord Mott (Con)
My Lords, as someone who has spent the vast majority of their career helping to run election campaigns across the UK, I add my support to this common-sense technical legislation. It makes no sense that a voter in Scotland and Wales can apply online for a postal or proxy vote in a UK parliamentary general election but the same voter cannot do the same for local elections, when they could do so if they lived in England. This Bill will resolve that. Bringing the identity check requirements in line with other elections at which online applications for absent voting can currently be made is also sensible. I note there is both cross-party support and Electoral Commission backing for these changes. I expect this legislation to pass without controversy and, as other noble Lords have said, I hope it passes quickly.
However, while all this is welcome, it is a very minor tweak. I take this opportunity briefly to spotlight a broader concern, as already highlighted by my noble friend Lord Hayward. There are currently 100 pieces of electoral legislation and likely thousands of pages of guidance to try to explain it. The Law Commission has described the current system as “complex”. Such complexity does not serve to increase or improve democratic engagement. Indeed, it leads to areas of uncertainty. This means that even the most professional political parties and well-trained professional agents may run the risk of falling foul of the law through no fault of their own. Our politics and the way we campaign are now changing at pace. The House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Electoral Commission have all raised similar concerns. The Minister will be pleased to know that I do not propose to set out my views today on how the law should be reshaped, but I believe it is long overdue a full overhaul to consolidate and simplify electoral law very soon.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Con)
My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow my noble friend, and I agree entirely with the points that he has just made in support of my noble friend Lord Hayward on a consolidation of electoral law. It is long overdue. I declare my interest as a member of the Remuneration Board of the Welsh Senedd, which settles salaries and conditions of employment for Members of the Welsh Parliament and conditions for their staff.
We have today that rare event of a piece of legislation that everybody can support. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Murphy of Torfaen, on introducing it so lucidly and crisply. I have little to add, except that it is extremely important and I agree entirely with the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, that we should pass this legislation expeditiously so that it can be brought into force in both Scotland and Wales ahead of the Welsh and Scottish parliamentary elections—that is desirable. In Wales, the Senedd elections are epoch-making; they are very different, so we need to encourage people to vote in them. We have multi-Member constituencies coming forward, a list system, more Members and a lower voting age, as mentioned by the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes. I associate myself with what she said about encouragement to vote, and I hope the Minister will perhaps say a few words about that very important topic.
I once more congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Murphy of Torfaen, on bringing this legislation through to your Lordships’ House, and I look forward to it becoming law.
Lord Rennard (LD)
My Lords, the expertise of many Members of your Lordships’ House in electoral law matters has once again been demonstrated in this debate. From these Benches, we supported the provisions in the Elections Act 2022 to make it easy for people wishing to vote by post or proxy to apply to do so online. Similarly, we now support this Bill to allow the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments to extend the provision of online applications for absent voting to all elections in those countries.
Modernising the conduct of elections encourages participation. It can also cut costs, with the money saved invested elsewhere in our democratic processes. Fundamentally, we need as few barriers as possible to voting, subject of course to measures to maintain the security of the ballot process. I remain concerned that there are more problems with absent voting, and the abuse of the processes involved in it, than with voting at polling stations.
I supported the measures in the 2022 Act to try to deal with postal vote fraud, but the new rules introduced then to prevent parties or candidates harvesting postal votes still seem ineffective and unenforceable. If we make voting by post easier, we must try to do more to make sure that postal votes are completed in proper conditions of secrecy. Can the Minister tell us whether there may be further provision in forthcoming legislation about the security of postal voting in particular?
I have a more fundamental question about our overall approach to electoral legislation. This very sensible measure has come to us by way of a Private Member’s Bill. As the noble Lords, Lord Hayward and Lord Bourne, and other noble Lords have suggested, this highlights the need to reform election legislation not in a piecemeal and unsatisfactory way but fundamentally, so that when changes are made—such as those in the 2022 Act—they are not so open to charges of partisan interference in election rules.
For some years, many of us have been hoping for a Government who will accept the Law Commission’s proposal to consolidate all our electoral legislation. The noble Lord, Lord Mott, quoted the Law Commission, and I refer to what it said in 2020:
“Electoral law in the UK is spread across 17 statutes and some 30 sets of regulations. It has become increasingly complex and fragmented; it is difficult to access, apply, and update. Much of the law is rooted in 19th Century language and practice, and doesn’t reflect modern electoral administration”.
Can the Minister please say whether the Government agree with that? Will he stand by his words, his vote and those of all his Labour colleagues in the last Parliament to end the provision for a Secretary of State to direct a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission, thereby undermining its independence?
This Bill is a small step in improving our electoral arrangements. Many things need to be put in place to improve them. As the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, said, we need above all to ensure that our systems are modernised so that everybody legally entitled to vote is enabled to do so by being on the electoral register.
Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)
My Lords, I thank all Members of both Houses for their hard work in progressing this Bill. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it is essential that we take the necessary steps to ensure that voting is as accessible as possible for all constituents. I am sure that your Lordships’ House is united in both praise and gratitude for the electoral staff across this country on whom all our democratic rights and freedoms depend.
On this side of the House, we welcome the Bill. It was first proposed under the last Conservative Government and it takes important steps to improve voting accessibility in Scotland and Wales. It also builds on strong foundations, not least the Elections Act 2022. The Act made real progress in strengthening the security of our democracy, including the requirement for digital imprints on online campaign materials.
This Bill implements significant measures to ensure that those who may have accessibility requirements are best equipped to exercise their democratic rights. It is right to make the voting process as seamless as possible for those who may be disabled or have particular challenges; allowing them to register digitally for absent voting takes large steps to ensure that this is the case. However, effective fraud checks are needed for both paper and electronic absent vote applications. Safeguarding the integrity of elections is a core duty of government, and Ministers must act decisively to modernise the system and block malign influence, whether that be domestic or from foreign powers.
That is why I welcome the Government’s stated commitment to working closely with the Electoral Commission and others to protect the integrity, security and effectiveness of UK elections and referendums. I urge them to ensure that this is not just rhetoric but reality.
I welcome the provisions of the Bill to ensure devolved voting in Scotland and Wales is in clear alignment with the electoral procedure for the UK-wide elections. The Bill provides Ministers of the Crown and the Scottish and Welsh Governments with powers to regulate how the service is used. This will enable Ministers to provide for and address any issues they may have, whether it be partial completion of applications, signatures or evidence requirements, in a manner they deem most fitting. I support different Governments and legislatures being better equipped to make policy choices for their respective jurisdictions. However, I hope that a large degree of alignment can occur between Governments as far as practically possible to ensure the smooth administration of elections.
While supportive of the provisions the Bill contains to make voting more accessible and efficient, I strongly caution the Government to cease their plans to weaken voter ID requirements. Of course, we should make every effort possible to ensure that voting is made as accessible as possible to all in our democracy, but I urge the Government to think again. The trade-off from loosening the voter ID requirements is simply not worth the considerable risk this would pose to the integrity of the voting process.
In conclusion, we on this side of the House are pleased to be in unity with the Government’s stance on the Bill. The Conservative Party is, and will always remain, the champion of democracy and supports any legislation that empowers people’s democratic rights. That said, we should be cautious of any legislation which could jeopardise the reliability or security of that precious democratic process. I hope the Government take these considerations seriously and work closely with the Electoral Commission to ensure the democratic system operates effectively and with integrity, so that we can all continue to enjoy the rights and freedoms it provides.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Lord Khan of Burnley) (Lab)
My Lords, I begin with a few words of thanks, first to my honourable friend in the other place, the Member for Edinburgh North and Leith, who has worked very hard in bringing this important Bill through the other place and to this noble Chamber. I also extend thanks to my noble friend Lord Murphy of Torfaen. His introductory speech has made clear the benefits of the Bill, and his commitment to working to support it through this Chamber is clear.
I thank all noble Lords for being here today to discuss this important legislation. Postal and proxy voting is an important enabler of democratic participation, one we are proud to champion, and I am pleased to see there is interest across the Chamber in these measures.
The Government share my honourable friend’s commitment to the Bill. At this moment in time, voters in Scotland and Wales can use the online absent vote application service to apply for postal and proxy votes, but only for reserved elections, such as to the UK Parliament. If those same voters in Scotland and Wales wish to use the new online service to apply for an absent vote for a devolved election, then they will find themselves unable to do so. This means any voter in Scotland or Wales who wishes to apply for a postal or proxy vote in a devolved parliamentary or local election still needs to complete a paper application form.
The Bill creates a legal framework to give voters in Scotland and Wales an equal choice in how they apply for their absent voting arrangement for use in Senedd Cymru, the Scottish Parliament and local elections in Scotland and Wales. The Bill also includes some changes to align application procedures, as my noble friend has outlined.
To bring these services online, further regulations will be designed and delivered by the Scottish and Welsh Governments, who have responsibility for devolved elections. There are clear benefits to introducing the online absent vote application services to voters in Scotland and Wales for devolved elections, for both electors and administrators.
By introducing these services, people in Scotland and Wales will get the choice to apply online for a postal or proxy vote for devolved parliamentary and local elections, as well as retaining the existing option for electors to apply using a paper application, if they wish to do so. One such clear benefit is the removal of the need for duplicate applications to be made by electors if they desire an absent vote for both devolved and reserved elections. This means that electors will spend less time making applications, and administrators will spend less time processing them. The Bill has been welcomed by the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and those working in the Scottish and Welsh electoral sectors.
I will now quickly respond to some of the points that noble Lords have raised. In particular, the noble Lords, Lord Rennard, Lord Hayward and Lord Mott raised consolidation of electoral law. While we understand the calls for consolidation of electoral law, major reform would require careful consideration and an extensive amount of time. A full-scale consolidation and simplification would require an in-depth review and modernisation alongside consolidation; to achieve this would be the job of more than one Parliament.
This Government have an ambitious agenda to improve our elections, including giving 16 and 17 year-olds the right to vote in all elections and strengthening the rules around donations to political parties. We are focused on delivering that agenda. However, we are cognisant of the challenges facing elections teams and will continue to look at areas which help to modernise and improve electoral process and delivery.
The noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, made a point about automatic registration. We are taking action and laying the foundations to make the registration process simpler and more automated in the coming years. Moving to an automated registration system will happen gradually and will take time. We intend to actively explore and test new and more automated methods of registration. For example, in Wales, the Welsh Government are already piloting approaches to automatic registration, and we will eagerly await the results of those pilots.
The point about a national registration day in schools and colleges is an important one. I assure the noble Baroness that I will take that away to my colleagues in the Department for Education to make that representation and see what more they can do to promote registration among 16 and 17 year-olds, and even 18 year-olds, in the future, so they have more awareness and education of this.
The noble Lord, Lord Rennard, is right to remind me of what I said about the policy and guidance statement, and my voting record. However, I say absolutely clearly to the House that an independent Electoral Commission which discharges its duties without fear or favour is vital for public confidence in our democracy. The Electoral Commission remains operationally independent, with electoral commissioners and the commission’s executive leadership responsible for determining how the commission should discharge its duties, including its strategic priorities and day-to-day operations.
The action we are taking to strengthen enforcement of the political finance framework will mean significant new powers and responsibilities for the Electoral Commission as a regulator. In light of these new responsibilities, the Government intend to designate a new strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission, to reflect the Government’s priorities for elections and the commission’s increased roles and responsibilities.
To conclude, as my noble friend has mentioned, the Bill requires further legislation to be made through the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments. The Scottish and Welsh Governments alone have the responsibility to make any decisions relating to implementation. We recognise the drivers behind any decision that the Scottish and Welsh Governments may make, including the importance of communicating clearly with electors, and maintaining the Gould principle as much as possible, to reduce the risk of critical errors undermining electoral integrity.
Regardless of the implementation timetable, the Bill lays the essential foundation for this service to come online for future devolved elections. We will continue to work closely with the Scottish and Welsh Governments moving forward, including on technical aspects of the Bill’s implementation.
I very much hope that all noble Lords will support this important Bill before us today.
Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab)
My Lords, it has been a short but very interesting debate, and I am grateful for the unanimous support across all Benches for this short but important Bill.
If one theme has come through, it is the theme of speed and the necessity for the Bill to go through Parliament, this House and any other stages it might have to elsewhere, but also for the Welsh and the Scottish Governments to pull out all the stops to ensure that next year, people will be able to apply for postal and proxy votes online for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections.
Like all of us here, I am unable to vote for Members of the House of Commons. That means that the only postal vote I can apply for is for the police commissioner for Gwent. I hope that next year I will be in a position to apply for a postal vote for the Welsh Senedd, but I rather fancy I will be walking to Llantarnam church hall. I beg to move.