(1)There is to be a returning officer for each electoral region.
(2)For a region in England and for Wales, the returning officer is to be a person who—
(a)is an acting returning officer by virtue of section 28(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2), and
(b)is designated for the purposes of this subsection by order of the Secretary of State.
(3)For Scotland the returning officer is to be a person who—
(a)is a returning officer by virtue of section 25 of that Act, and
(b)is designated for the purposes of this subsection by order of the Secretary of State.
(4)For Northern Ireland the returning officer is to be the Chief Electoral Officer.
(5)The Secretary of State may by regulations confer functions on the returning officers for the electoral regions and on persons who are, in relation to parliamentary elections—
(a)in the case of England and Wales, acting returning officers, or
(b)in the case of Scotland, returning officers.
(6)There are to be charged on, and paid out of, the Consolidated Fund—
(a)charges to which persons on whom functions are conferred under subsection (5) are entitled under regulations under this Act, and
(b)any sums required by the Secretary of State for expenditure on the provision of training relating to functions conferred under subsection (5).
(7)Where functions are conferred on a person under subsection (5) in relation to an electoral region, the council of a relevant area which falls wholly or partly within that region must place the services of their officers at his disposal for the purpose of assisting him in the discharge of those functions.
(8)In subsection (7), “relevant area” means—
(a)a district or London borough in England,
(b)a county or county borough in Wales, and
(c)a local government area in Scotland.