68Funding of services and expenses of returning officersU.K.
(1)Section 29 of the 1983 Act (payments by and to returning officer) is amended as follows.
(2)For subsections (3) to (4B) substitute—
“(3)A returning officer shall be entitled to recover his charges in respect of services rendered, or expenses incurred, for or in connection with a parliamentary election if—
(a)the services were necessarily rendered, or the expenses were necessarily incurred, for the efficient and effective conduct of the election; and
(b)the total of his charges does not exceed the amount (“the overall maximum recoverable amount”) specified in, or determined in accordance with, an order made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this subsection.
(3A)An order under subsection (3) may specify, or make provision for determining in accordance with the order, a maximum recoverable amount for services or expenses of any specified description and, subject to subsection (3B) below, the returning officer may not recover more than that amount in respect of any such services or expenses.
(3B)The Secretary of State may, in a particular case, authorise the payment of—
(a)more than the overall maximum recoverable amount, or
(b)more than the specified maximum recoverable amount for any specified services or expenses,
if he is satisfied that the conditions in subsection (3C) are met.
(3C)The conditions referred to in subsection (3B) are—
(a)that it was reasonable for the returning officer concerned to render the services or incur the expenses, and
(b)that the charges in question are reasonable.”
(3)In subsection (9), for “subsections (3) and (4)” substitute “ subsection (3) ”.
(4)This section ceases to have effect if, before it is brought into force, paragraph 6(3) of Schedule 21 to the 2000 Act is brought into force.
Commencement Information
I1S. 68 wholly in force at 10.2.2010; s. 68 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 77; s. 68 in force for E.W. at 1.1.2007 by S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 15(b) (with Sch. 2); s. 68 in force for N.I. at 1.7.2008 by S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2(2), 4(w)
I2S. 68 in force at 10.2.2010 for S. by S.I. 2010/275, art. 3 (with art. 4)