Seòmar agus comataidhean

Would you like to make an opening statement?

The expectation is therefore that the Home Office will provide the guidance that the electoral regions can effectively rely on.

Do you see there being unforeseen consequences that could come from that, with people screaming and shouting about the validity of a candidate three weeks into the election campaign, for example?

That has been considered and is not anticipated to be a problem.

I am getting very conscious of the time, so I will move on to digital imprints, which has come up in substantial amounts of evidence that the committee has received.

The digital imprints will be required only when it is reasonably practicable. Does that loophole not defeat the purpose of the requirement? In whose view does the Government think that the test of reasonably practicable should sit?

The follow-on from that relates to the monitoring and enforcement of what you have rightly described as a bolt-on. Minister, what discussions have you had with the Electoral Commission about the challenge that that will bring?

My next question relates to campaign finance. You have talked about the need to simplify that environment. In reserved elections, parties make weekly reports, but in devolved elections, parties make three-monthly reports. Why do we not just move to the same weekly reporting during that short campaign?

The financial memorandum says that the bill will have no direct financial implications, but it specifically raises a number of areas that will have financial consequences, one of which is pilots. Do you have any thoughts about the amount of money that will be needed to fund that change of position?

Does Oliver Mundell have a question?

Is the Scottish Government’s cost benefit analysis that the measure would be too expensive but you are still open to considering it?