Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab)

My Lords, it is quite difficult for a Welsh Labour politician to talk about elections dispassionately, but I will try to do that. I thank all those who have been involved in the Bill—my honourable friend Tracy Gilbert from the other place and, of course, all the officials and parliamentary officials who have put the Bill through. I would like to thank all Members here who realised that this is a small but important step in the right direction, in the sense that now, at last, voters in Scotland and Wales will be able to apply online for postal and proxy votes for the Senedd, the Scottish Parliament and for Scottish and Welsh local elections. There is one point I want to emphasise before I sit down, and I know the Minister is aware of this. Now that the Bill has gone through its parliamentary stages and will become law very soon, it is important, because there are six months left before those important elections next year, that the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government now properly look at these new arrangements and ensure that people can vote by proxy or by post at the next Senedd and Scottish Parliament elections. As I said at Second Reading, I will continue to vote at Llantarnam church hall. I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.