(1)The [1999 c. 29.] Greater London Authority Act 1999 is amended as follows.
(2)After section 17 there shall be inserted—
(1)Each candidate at the first election of the Mayor shall be entitled (subject to and in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3A to this Act) to have an election address prepared on behalf of the candidate included in a booklet of election addresses—
(a)prepared by the Greater London returning officer; and
(b)sent by that officer, by post, to each elector in Greater London.
(2)In subsection (1) above“elector”, in relation to the election mentioned in that subsection—
(a)means a person who is registered in the register of local government electors for an electoral area in Greater London on the last day for publication of notice of the election; and
(b)includes a person then shown in any such register as below voting age if (but only if) it appears from the register that he will be of voting age on the day fixed for the poll.
(3)The Secretary of State may by order make such provision as he considers appropriate for and in connection with enabling candidates—
(a)at ordinary elections other than the first such election, or
(b)at elections to fill vacancies in the office of Mayor or Assembly member,
to have their election addresses (within the meaning of the order) delivered, at the Authority’s expense, by the Post Office or by any other means specified in the order.
(4)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, an order under that subsection may make provision—
(a)for free delivery of election addresses to be available under the order only in the case of any specified description of election falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection or within section 2(7) above;
(b)for enabling the Authority to determine the descriptions of elections (if any) in the case of which free delivery of election addresses is to be so available;
(c)for regulating in any respect the form and manner in which free delivery of election addresses is to be so available;
(d)for restricting the number of separate mailings in respect of the free delivery of election addresses, whether—
(i)by limiting the number of separate election addresses by reference to any specified circumstances, or
(ii)by requiring the preparation of a single document incorporating all the election addresses to be delivered on behalf of candidates at a particular election,
or otherwise;
(e)for imposing conditions which must be satisfied by any candidate or candidates seeking to avail themselves of free delivery of election addresses under the order;
(f)for authorising election addresses falling to be delivered under the order to be disseminated by such means (other than those by which they are to be so delivered) as may be specified;
(g)for securing that civil or criminal liability in respect of material contained in any election address falling to be delivered under the order (including any such liability arising in connection with any dissemination of the material in pursuance of paragraph (f) above) is incurred only by the candidate on behalf of whom it falls to be so delivered or his election agent.
(5)In subsection (4) above—
“free delivery of election addresses” means the delivery of election addresses, in accordance with an order under subsection (3) above, at the Authority’s expense;
“specified” means specified in an order under subsection (3) above.
(6)Before making an order under subsection (3) above the Secretary of State shall consult—
(a)the Mayor and the London Assembly; and
(b)such other persons and bodies as he may determine to be appropriate.
(7)Schedule 3A to this Act (which makes provision supplementing subsection (1) above) shall have effect.”
(3)In section 420(3) (orders under specified provisions to be subject to affirmative parliamentary procedure), before paragraph (a) there shall be inserted—
“(za)section 17A(3) above,”.
(4)The provisions set out in Schedule 5 shall be inserted as Schedule 3A to the Act.
(1)The enactments specified in Schedule 6 shall have effect subject to the minor and consequential amendments there specified.
(2)The enactments specified in Schedule 7 are repealed or revoked to the extent there specified.
(1)There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament any increase attributable to this Act in the sums which under any other Act are payable out of money so provided.
(2)There shall be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund any increase attributable to this Act in the sums to be charged on and paid out of that Fund under any other Act.
(1)This Act may be cited as the Representation of the People Act 2000, and shall be included among the Acts that may be cited as the Representation of the People Acts.
(2)In this Act—
“the 1983 Act” means the [1983 c. 2.] Representation of the People Act 1983;
“enactment” includes—
any provision of an Act (including this Act),
any provision of, or of any instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament,
any provision of, or of any instrument made under, Northern Ireland legislation, and
any provision of subordinate legislation (within the meaning of the [1978 c. 30.] Interpretation Act 1978);
“local election” has the same meaning as in the [1962 c. 14 (N.I.).] Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962;
“local government area” has the meaning given by section 203(1) of the 1983 Act;
“local government election” has the meaning given (for England and Wales) by section 203(1) of the 1983 Act or (for Scotland) by section 204(1) of that Act;
“modifications” includes additions, omissions and amendments (and“modify” has a corresponding meaning).
(3)Apart from—
(a)sections 10, 11, 14 and 16 and this section,
(b)Schedule 5, and
(c)paragraph 6 of Schedule 6,
this Act does not come into force until such date as the Secretary of State may appoint by order made by statutory instrument; and different dates may be so appointed for different purposes.
(4)An order under subsection (3) may contain such transitional provisions and savings (including provisions modifying enactments) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
(5)Subject to subsections (6) to (9), this Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.
(6)The following provisions extend to England, Wales and Scotland—
(a)section 12 and Schedule 4,
(b)paragraph 7 of Schedule 6, and
(c)Part II of Schedule 7.
(7)Sections 10 and 11 and paragraph 1 of Schedule 6 extend only to England and Wales.
(8)The amendments made by section 14 have the same extent as the [1999 c. 29.] Greater London Authority Act 1999.
(9)The following provisions extend only to Northern Ireland—
(a)Schedule 3,
(b)paragraphs 13 to 17 of Schedule 6, and
(c)Part III of Schedule 7.