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Representation of the People ( and Overseas Territories)

A B I L L

TO

Provide for the representation of Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories at the House of Commons of the of and Northern ; and for related purposes.

E IT ENACTED by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice Band consent of the and Temporal, and Commons, in this present assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Election of MPs

Election of MPs. 1.—(1) On the same day as a parliamentary election is held in the United Kingdom, registered electors in a Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory vote in an election for a Member of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain and who shall be known as the for the constituency of that dependency or territory.

(2) Any vacancy for the position of a Member of Parliament occurring between general elections shall be filled in the same manner as a vacancy occurring in a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

Constituencies and number of MPs

Constituencies and 2.—(1) The number of MPs elected in Dependencies number of MPs. shall be 3, of whom—

(a) 1 shall be elected for the of ,

(b) 1 shall be elected for the Bailiwick of , consisting of Guernsey, including the islands of Breqhou, , and , and ,

(c) 1 shall be elected for the . (2) The number of MPs elected in constituencies for the Overseas Territories shall be 6, of whom—

(a) 1 shall be elected for the constituency of , the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, to consist of:

(i) Gibraltar;

(ii) the Sovereign Base Areas of ; and

(iii) the British Indian Ocean Territory.

(b) 1 shall be elected for the constituency of the South Atlantic and Pacific, to consist of:

(i) , and ;

(ii) the ;

(iii) South and South Sandwich Islands;

(iv) British Antarctic Territories; and

(v) Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands.

(c) 1 shall be elected for the constituency of the Leeward Islands, to consist of:

(i) Virgin Islands;

(ii) ; and

(iii) ,

(d) 1 shall be elected for the ,

(e) 1 shall be elected for the Turks and Caicos, and

(f) 1 shall be elected for .

Qualifications for MPs

Qualifications for MPs. 3.—(1) Those qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament for the aforementioned constituencies are the persons who, at the date of their nomination as a candidate for election, shall have attained the age of eighteen years. 2. A person falls within this subsection if the person is either—

(a) a British citizen,

(b) a Commonwealth citizen, or

(c) a citizen of the .

Entitlement to vote in elections

Entitlement to vote in 4. Those persons entitled to elect a Member of Parliament for the elections. aforementioned constituencies shall be regarded as if they were registered as electors at a parliamentary election in a constituency in the United Kingdom.

Conduct of elections

Conduct of elections. 5.—(1) The Electoral Commission shall, under regulations made by statutory instrument, lay down rules for the conduct of elections in accordance with section 1.

2. Returning officers for the purpose of elections conducted in accordance with section 1 shall be appointed by the Electoral Commission, in liaison with the authorities in the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

3. Any expenses reasonably and properly incurred by a returning officer in the conduct of an election in an Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory in accordance with section 1 shall be charged on and payable out of the Consolidated Fund.

Remuneration and allowances

Remuneration and 6.—(1) The rates of remuneration and allowances payable to a allowances. Member of Parliament elected in accordance with section 1 shall be determined by order made by statutory instrument.

There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament any expenditure attributable to the payment of remuneration and allowances under subsection (1).

Transitional arrangements

Transitional arrangements. 7.—(1) This Act shall come into force no later than three months of the first meeting of the Parliament elected under the terms of the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019.

2. No later than one month of this Act coming into force, the position of a Member of Parliament for each of the aforementioned constituencies shall be filled in the same manner as a vacancy occurring in a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

3. All future vacancies for the position of a Member of Parliament for each of the aforementioned constituencies shall be filled on the same day as a parliamentary election is held in the United Kingdom.

General

Commencement, extent 8.—(1) This Act comes into force on the day on which it is and short title. passed.

2. This Act extends to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

3. This Act may be cited as the Representation of the People (Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories) Act 2020.