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  European Union Referendum Bill - New Clause 11 - Restrictions on Government Activities Which Could Influence Referendum
  
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  @ MP voted aye to restrict Government activities which could influence the referendum.
  @ MP voted no not to restrict Government activities which could influence the referendum.
  
  The majority of MPs voted not to restrict Government activities which could influence the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.
  
  The rejected proposals would have prevented a referendum taking place until arrangements for such restrictions, which would apply in the five weeks before the referendum date, were in place.
  
  MPs were considering the European Union Referendum Bill.[1]
  
  The amendment rejected in this vote was[2]:
  
  Amendment 11, page 5, line 28, at end insertâ
  
  :â(1A) (a) Section 1 will come into effect after a resolution has been passed by both Houses approving arrangements for a purdah period covering a period of five weeks before the referendum date.
  
  :(b) arrangements for a purdah period will includeâ
  
  :(i) restrictions on material that can be published by the government, public bodies and the EU institutions; and
  
  :(ii) measures to determine breaches of purdah and penalties for such a breach.â
  
  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purdah_%28pre-election_period%29 Purdah] is jargon for the period in the run-up to a UK election when government is prevented from making announcements about any new or controversial government initiatives which could impact the election.
  
  
  The rejected amendment was accompanied by a statement of its intent[2] saying:
  
  :The referendum provision of the Bill could only come into effect after arrangements for purdah had been approved by both Houses of Parliament.
  
  ==
  
  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/europeanunionreferendum/documents.html Parliament's webpage on the European Union Referendum Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-09-07b.78.0 Official Record, House of Commons, 7 September 2015]
  
  
  
  
  
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  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  