Seòmar agus comataidhean

Please do. That is a genuine offer, because although, on the face of it, that would appear to be a useful provision to have, the unknown unknowns become very important here. You are right to say that, whichever way the decision went, it would be workable, but I think that there should be an input on the practicalities, depending on when the decision is made. That is very helpful.

I want to push on the cost element of a postponement, from the point of view not just of registration but of implementation. How big an effect will a postponement have on cost for those who administer the process?

There is always another one. Thank you for that.

Would it help if there was an explanation of the sort of grounds that would lead to a postponement? Would it be helpful from your point of view if there was a clarification of the test that the Presiding Officer had to apply?

I will pose a problem with the pilots. If the board is added as an initiator, it might be challenging for regions to say no to the board.

It is always on election day that it happens.

That is very helpful.

It seems that the committee has finished its questioning. I remind our witnesses that, once they have had an opportunity to consider their evidence, the offer is there if they would like to write to us, particularly on the one matter that we have raised, in which case we look forward to receiving that further information.

I thank our witnesses for their attendance and their contributions, both beforehand, in the call for evidence, and during this meeting.

No—not unless you have anything that follows from that answer.

I want to move on to another provision that the bill proposes, which is in relation to the postponement of elections. All three organisations that are represented today have made submissions on that. Andy Hunter, I will come to you first, because I was interested in the point in your submission that, in essence, elections could be postponed by up to 16 weeks. I do not expect you to comment on the policy decision in that regard but, with regard to the practicalities of a single or double suspension, what is the effect at the chalkface, to use an old teaching phrase, when the phone rings and you are told that an election has been postponed?

If we put aside the cause of the postponement, would a fixed, albeit longer, period rather than two shorter periods be helpful? Would it be helpful to know even before a postponement happens that it would be for a set period? Would that make the administration easier?

Things would reset anyway.

Before I open up the topic to other witnesses, I want to ask about the recruitment of staff, which you highlighted as being one of the challenges. Do you want to explain why that is a challenge, given that there is not a significant number of people who only ever do election work and sit around in their holiday homes for the bits in between?