Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015

66 Ballot: information and expenses

(1) Section 75 of the 2003 Act (ballot to indicate approval for the purposes of section 74(1)(m)) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (4), insert—

“(4A) Ministers may require the crofting community body—

(a) to provide such information relating to the ballot as they think fit, and

(b) to provide such information relating to any consultation with those eligible to vote in the ballot undertaken during the period in which the ballot was carried out as Ministers think fit.

(4B) Subject to subsection (6), the expense of conducting a ballot under this section is to be met by the crofting community body.”.

(3) After subsection (5), insert—

“(6) Ministers may by regulations make provision for or in connection with enabling a crofting community body, in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, to apply to them to seek reimbursement of the expense of conducting a ballot under this section.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) may in particular make provision in relation to—

(a) the circumstances in which a crofting community body may make an application by virtue of that subsection,

(b) the method to be applied by Ministers in calculating the expense of conducting the ballot,

(c) the criteria to be applied by Ministers in deciding whether to make a reimbursement to the applicant,

(d) the procedure to be followed in connection with the making of—

(i) an application to Ministers,

(ii) an appeal against a decision made by Ministers in respect of an application,

(e) persons who may consider such an appeal,

(f) the powers of such persons.”.