16th May. Given the present situation in the Province, it is not clear why they should be delayed to give more time for the foot and mouth crisis to be brought under control. The justification given in the other place was that a UK-wide response was necessary. Local elections are not held on a UK-wide basis on the same day. It has been suggested that there is a political motivation for the delay, unrelated to foot and mouth disease. The Minister in the other place has acknowledged that, if local elections were to be held at the same time as a general election, turnout for local elections would be likely to increase.
Experience supports that proposition.
The Minister may be able to assuage my concerns. I say that having seen his compendium letter. Motion was to provide the Minister with an opportunity to explain why the clause was included. The severity of the programming Motion in the other place meant that there was no time in which to discuss the clause. The task of ensuring adequate scrutiny thus falls to this House.