Committee
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee 17 December 2020
17 Dec 2020 · S5 · Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Item of business
Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill: Stage 2
I will pick up on a few points. I think that Neil Findlay is right that it seems as if we have a “can’t do” attitude to some of that, rather than a “can do” attitude. It is important that we increase the awareness that people can use their postal vote, but we should also make it easier to vote. There are examples from other parts of the world where they make their processes easier and smoother and increase the time for the electorate to vote rather than decreasing the time. Again, I emphasise the counterintuitive nature of what we are discussing. I have a few things to add. One is that we need much clearer reassurance about when the public information campaign will start. If it is to be successful, it has to start very early. I do not think that there is any risk of overpublicising the ability to use a postal vote. If we are asking people to think twice, three, four or five times before they go to a local shop, restaurant or supermarket, people will naturally think three, four or five times about whether they go to the local polling station, so that argument does not hold water. It is important that the EROs have the necessary scale and capacity. We should not be saying that there is a risk of disenfranchising the electorate because EROs might not be adequately trained or resourced. We have a responsibility to protect our democracy by ensuring that they are adequately resourced. We must also ensure that we process applications early. In the spirit of consensus, I will not press the amendment. However, we need clarification ahead of stage 3 about when, specifically, the public information campaign will start, what it will include and what additional resources will be provided to local EROs for them to process the applications. If we cannot get that ahead of stage 3, I may well have to lodge an amendment similar to amendment 18 again at stage 3. I hope that, in a spirit of consensus, we can work together to reach a reasonable resolution. Amendment 18, by agreement, withdrawn. Section 3 agreed to. Section 4—Report on uptake of postal voting at closing date
In the same item of business
The Convener (Bill Kidd)
SNP
I welcome members to the 25th meeting of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee in 2020. Our first item is stage 2 proceedings on the Sc...
The Convener
SNP
We come to the first group, on the deadline for application for postal votes. Amendment 18, in the name of Anas Sarwar, is the only amendment in the group.
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Good morning, convener, and good morning to the committee. Thank you for your time this morning. At the outset, I emphasise what I said in the stage 1 deba...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
Anas Sarwar is raising issues on which many of us have expressed concern. However, it would be more consistent with the evidence that we took at stage 1 for ...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
I have a similar concern. We are told that we are looking at a take-up of under 40 per cent and that we are preparing for take-up of 50 per cent. My concern ...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I have real concerns about that. I recognise some of the points that have been made, and I appreciate, to some extent, where Anas Sarwar is coming from. The ...
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
I understand why we have a deadline for postal vote applications. It is not just about checking that the postal vote application is correct but ensuring that...
John Scott (Ayr) (Con)
Con
Thank you, convener. I agree with Patrick Harvie on this. Two issues are being conflated, and section 3 should remain, for the reasons that we heard in evide...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
The conservative nature of what is being said—that we simply cannot organise this, it is all so difficult and we do not have the resources—is depressing. A c...
The Convener
SNP
Jamie Halcro Johnston can come in quickly—I was prompted by hearing Neil Findlay say that people were being conservative at the moment.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
I am not sure whether we can intervene at this stage. I am sure that the member will recognise that there will be potential bumps along the road, whatever re...
The Convener
SNP
Would the minister like to respond?
The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Graeme Dey)
SNP
Yes. There is a lot to respond to. What we have heard is an illustration of why amendment 18 is useful in so far as it provokes discussion. As you might ima...
The Convener
SNP
I call Anas Sarwar to wind up and press or withdraw amendment 18.
Anas Sarwar
Lab
I will pick up on a few points. I think that Neil Findlay is right that it seems as if we have a “can’t do” attitude to some of that, rather than a “can do” ...
The Convener
SNP
Amendment 1, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 2, 3, 19 and 20.
Graeme Dey
SNP
Section 4 sets out the requirements for the report that the Scottish ministers are obliged to publish after the new deadline for postal vote applications. Th...
Anas Sarwar
Lab
I am happy to work with the minister on his suggested reworking of amendment 19 for stage 3. I think—and hope—that we both want the same outcome from the ame...
Neil Findlay
Lab
Amendment 20 would require ministers to report on the number of electors who have not applied for a postal vote by 7 April 2021, which is a month before the ...
Patrick Harvie
Green
I am pleased that the Government seems willing to work with Anas Sarwar on a replacement for his amendment 19. When I read the amendment, its intention seeme...
The Convener
SNP
I ask the minister to wind up.
Graeme Dey
SNP
First, I thank Anas Sarwar for his constructive approach on amendment 19. The point has been made that the number of electors—the people who are registered...
The Convener
SNP
The question is, that amendment 20 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Convener
SNP
There will be a division. For Findlay, Neil (Lothian) (Lab) Against Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Gree...
The Convener
SNP
The result of the division is: For 1, Against 6, Abstentions 0. Amendment 20 disagreed to. Amendment 3 moved—Graeme Dey—and agreed to. Section 4, as amend...
The Convener
SNP
Amendment 21, on the return of postal vote to be free of charge, is in a group on its own.
Anas Sarwar
Lab
Amendment 21 is simple. It connects to what I said at the outset of our discussion this morning. The bill cannot simply be about raising awareness of the abi...
Patrick Harvie
Green
I feel a little bit the same about this amendment as I felt about Anas Sarwar’s amendment 19, in that it raises important issues and is addressing something ...
Neil Findlay
Lab
This is a test of how serious we are about opening up voting to as many people as possible. Anas Sarwar eloquently explained all the steps that someone must ...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
I recognise some of the points that Anas Sarwar made, but I am still slightly unconvinced. He highlighted quite a long list of barriers, but I am not sure ho...