Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

11 (1) The Commission—

(a) shall appoint a chief executive, and

(b) may appoint such other staff as the Commission consider necessary to assist them and their committees in the performance of their functions.

(2) A person may not be appointed—

(a) as chief executive of the Commission if he is a person who (by virtue of section 3(4)(a) to (d)) may not be appointed as an Electoral Commissioner, or

(b) as any other member of the staff of the Commission if he is a person who (by virtue of section 3(4)(b) to (d)) may not be appointed as an Electoral Commissioner.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), the staff of the Commission shall be appointed on such terms and conditions as the Commission may determine; and the Commission shall pay their staff such remuneration as may be provided for by or under their terms of appointment.

(4) The appointment of any member of the staff of the Commission shall terminate—

(a) if he is their chief executive, on the occurrence of such an event as is mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of paragraph 3(3), and

(b) in any other case, on the occurrence of such an event as is mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph 3(3).

(5) In determining the terms and conditions of staff under sub-paragraph (3) above, the Commission shall have regard to the desirability of keeping the remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment of its staff broadly in line with those applying to persons employed in the civil service of the State.

(6) Service as an officer or employee of the Commission shall be included in the kinds of employment to which a scheme under section 1 of the [1972 c. 11.] Superannuation Act 1972 can apply; and, accordingly, in Schedule 1 to that Act (which lists the kinds of employment to which a scheme can apply), the following entry shall be inserted at the end of the list of “Royal Commissions and other Commissions”—

“Electoral Commission”.

(7) The Commission shall pay to the Minister for the Civil Service, at such times as he may direct, such sums as he may determine in respect of any increase attributable to sub-paragraph (6) in the sums payable out of money provided by Parliament under the [1972 c. 11.] Superannuation Act 1972.

(8) No member of the staff of the Commission shall be regarded—

(a) as the servant or agent of the Crown, or

(b) as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown.

(9) The Secretary of State may appoint a person to be the Commission’s chief executive until such time as the first person to be appointed by the Commission as their chief executive takes up office; and until such time as the Commission have appointed their own staff the Secretary of State may appoint persons to serve as members of the Commission’s staff.

(10) Until such time as the Commission may determine, the Commission’s chief executive appointed under sub-paragraph (9) may incur expenditure and do other things in the name and on behalf of the Commission, whether or not the membership of the Commission has yet to be constituted in accordance with section 1.

(11) The power conferred by sub-paragraph (10) shall be exercisable by that person subject to and in accordance with any directions given to him by the Secretary of State.