Paragraph 3: Referendum Question and Statement
703.Paragraph 3 requires the Order in Council to set out the question which voters in the referendum are to be asked.
704.In addition, if the question on the ballot paper is going to be preceded by a statement (e.g. an explanation of the effect of bringing the Assembly Act provisions into force), the statement must be set out in the Order in Council.
705.The effect of section 104(4) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is that the Secretary of State must, at the time when the draft Order in Council is laid before both Houses of Parliament for approval, also lay a report which contains any views expressed by the Electoral Commission on how easily the referendum question or preceding statement can be understood.
706.Paragraph 3 (3) requires the Secretary of State to send a copy of the same report to the First Minister before, or at the same time, as the Secretary of State lays it before Parliament. Paragraph 3 (4) requires the First Minister to lay that report before the Assembly as soon as reasonably practicable after he has received it from the Secretary of State.
