Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

94 Limits on controlled expenditure by third parties

(1) Schedule 10 has effect for imposing limits on controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of recognised third parties in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland during the periods specified in that Schedule.

(2) Where during a regulated period any controlled expenditure is incurred in a relevant part of the United Kingdom by or on behalf of a recognised third party in excess of the limit imposed by Schedule 10 in relation to that period and part of the United Kingdom, then—

(a) if the third party is not an individual—

(i) the responsible person is guilty of an offence if he authorised the expenditure to be incurred by or on behalf of the third party and he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit, and

(ii) the third party is also guilty of an offence;

(b) if the third party is an individual, he is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit.

(3) Subsection (4) applies where—

(a) during a regulated period any controlled expenditure is incurred in a part of the United Kingdom by or on behalf of a third party in excess of the limit for that part of the United Kingdom mentioned in subsection (5), and

(b) the third party is not a recognised third party.

(4) In such a case—

(a) if the third party is not an individual—

(i) any person who authorised the expenditure to be incurred by or on behalf of the third party is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit, and

(ii) the third party is also guilty of an offence;

(b) if the third party is an individual, he is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit.

(5) The limits referred to in subsection (3) are as follows—

(a) £10,000 for England; and

(b) £5,000 for each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

(6) Where—

(a) during a regulated period any controlled expenditure is incurred in a particular part of the United Kingdom by or on behalf of a third party, and

(b) the expenditure is so incurred in pursuance of a plan or other arrangement whereby controlled expenditure is to be incurred by or on behalf of—

(i) that third party, and

(ii) one or more other third parties,

respectively in connection with the production or publication of election material which can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve a common purpose falling within section 85(3),

• the expenditure mentioned in paragraph (a) shall be treated for the purposes of this section and Schedule 10 as having also been incurred, during the period and in the part of the United Kingdom concerned, by or on behalf of the other third party (or, as the case may be, each of the other third parties) mentioned in paragraph (b)(ii).

(7) Subsection (6) applies whether or not any of the third parties in question is a recognised third party.

(8) Where—

(a) at any time before the beginning of any regulated period any expenses within section 85(2) are incurred by or on behalf of a third party in respect of any property, services or facilities, but

(b) the property, services or facilities is or are made use of by or on behalf of the third party during the regulated period in circumstances such that, had any expenses been incurred in respect of that use during that period, they would by virtue of section 85(2) have constituted controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party during that period,

the appropriate proportion of the expenses mentioned in paragraph (a) shall be treated for the purposes of this section, sections 96 to 99 and Schedule 10 as controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party during that period.

(9) For the purposes of subsection (8) the appropriate proportion of the expenses mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection is such proportion of those expenses as is reasonably attributable to the use made of the property, services or facilities as mentioned in paragraph (b).

(10) For the purposes of this section, sections 96 to 99 and Schedule 10—

(a) a “regulated period” is a period in relation to which any limit is imposed by Schedule 10;

(b) any reference to controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a recognised third party during a regulated period includes any controlled expenditure so incurred during that period at any time before the third party became a recognised third party;

(c) a part of the United Kingdom is a “relevant part” if any limit imposed by Schedule 10 applies to controlled expenditure which is incurred in that part; and

(d) any reference to controlled expenditure being incurred in a part of the United Kingdom shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Schedule.