The Returning Officer’s Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Statutory Instruments

1991 No. 1688

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE

The Returning Officer’s Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Made

24th July 1991

Coming into force

26th July 1991

The Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 29(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983(1), hereby make the following Order:–

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Returning Officer’s Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 and shall come into force on 26th July 1991.

(2) This Order extends to Northern Ireland only.

2.—(1) Expenses of a kind set out in the Schedule to this Order are hereby specified for the purposes of paragraph (a) of section 29(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (which provides that a returning officer is entitled to recover his charges in respect of services properly rendered, or expenses properly incurred, for or in connection with a parliamentary election if the services or expenses are of a kind so specified and the charges are reasonable).

(2) Maximum recoverable amounts are hereby specified in the right-hand column of Part A of the Schedule to this Order in respect of services or expenses of the descriptions specified opposite thereto in the left-hand column of that Part.

Gregory Knight

Sydney Chapman

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

24th July 1991

Article 2

SCHEDULE EXPENSES IN RESPECT OF WHICH A RETURNING OFFICER AT APARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN NORTHERN IRELAND MAYRECOVER HIS CHARGES

PART A EXPENSES OF RETURNING OFFICER FOR WHICH MAXIMUM RECOVERABLE AMOUNTS ARE SPECIFIED

I.  In a contested election:	£
1.—(a) For the presiding officer at each polling station (to include all expenses, other than any travelling and overnight subsistence expenses recoverable underPart B hereof)	90.00
(b) For any person who takes over the duties of a presiding officer because of the incapacity of that presiding officer on the day of the election (with the like inclusion)	90.00
In addition, a further sum, not exceeding £5.62 may be paid to one of the presiding officers at a polling place to which there are assigned not less than 3,000 entries in the register of electors to be used at the election (as first published), where the returning officer determines that such a payment is necessary for the effective conduct of the election.
2.—(a) For one clerk at each polling station	56.00
(b) For additional clerks at a polling station either being clerks at a polling station to which there are assigned more than 700 entries in the register of electors to be used at the election (as first published) such additional clerks not to exceed one clerk for every 600 entries or fraction thereof in excess of 700, or being clerks whose employment is determined to be necessary by the returning officer for the effective conduct of the election: For each additional clerk (whole-time or part-time as the case may require)	56.00
3.—(1) For the employment of persons in connection with the manual preparation and issue of the official poll cards, including charges for superannuation contributions where payable: (a) For the initial preparation of the cards: For every 100 cards or fraction thereof	3.60
(b) For each revision not confined to a particular section of the cards: (i) For every 100 cards or fraction thereof prepared on initial preperation	0.57
(ii) For every 100 new cards or fraction thereof prepared	3.60
Provided that if the number of new cards does not exceed 15 per cent of the number prepared on the initial preparation, the maximum charge for the revision shall be increased by 5 per cent.
(c) For the revision of a particular section only of the cards: For every 100 new cards or fraction thereof prepared	3.60
(d) For the completion and issue of the cards on the occasion of an election: For every 100 cards or fraction thereof issued (or withdrawn in respect of voters entitled to vote by post)	1.85
(2) For the employment of persons in connection with the issue of poll cards which have not been prepared manually, including charges for superannuation contributions where payable: For every 100 cards or fraction thereof	1.18
Provided that the maximum amount which a returning officer shall be entitled to charge under this paragraph shall be the total of the maximum amounts specified for such of the stages of work represented by subparagraphs (1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) and (2) hereunder as he has carried out, notwithstanding that the amount disbursed by him for any particular stage is greater than the amount specified hereunder as the maximum amount for that stage; provided also that the maximum amount which a returning officer shall be entitled to charge under this paragraph shall be increased by any amount by which the maximum amount which he is entitled to charge under paragraph 4 below exceeds the amount disbursed by him for the purposes described in that paragraph.
4.  For the employment of person in connection with the count and the ballot papers of electors entitled to vote by post, and for all clerical and other assistance employed by the returning officer for the purposes of the election, including charges for day subsistence expenses and for superannuation contributions where payable. (a) If the number of entries in the register of electors to be used at the election (as first published) in the constituency does not exceed 50,000	2,931.21
For every additional 1,000 entries or fraction thereof over 50,000	36.57
(b) For every 100 persons or fraction thereof entitled to vote by post	33.20
(c) In the event of a recount of the votes being ordered: For each recount	292.74
Provided that the maximum amount which a returning officer shall be entitled to charge under this paragraph shall be increased by any amount by which the maximum amount which he is entitled to charge under paragraph 3 above exceeds the amount disbursed by him for the purposes described in that paragraph.
II.  In an uncontested election, for all necessary preliminary work the amount shall be the same as the amount specified for corresponding work in a contested election, except that for all clerical and other assistance employed by the returning officer for the purposes of the election, including charges for day subsistence expenses and for superannuation contributions where payable, the amount shall not be more than one-quarter of the amount specified under paragraph 1.4 of this Part of the Schedule.

PART B EXPENSES OF RETURNING OFFICER FOR WHICH NO MAXIMUM RECOVERABLE AMOUNTS ARE SPECIFIED

1.  Travelling and overnight subsistence expenses of the returning officer and any person employed by him where necessary to make arrangements for the poll or otherwise in connection with the conduct of the election.

2.  Travelling and overnight subsistence expenses of presiding officers and poll clerks (including any expenses incurred in conveying the ballot boxes in those cases in which presiding officers or poll clerks are responsible for the transport of the boxes to or from the polling stations).

3.  For printing and providing ballot papers.

4.  For printing and providing official poll cards.

5.  For printing and providing notices and other documents required in and about the election or poll and costs of publishing the same.

6.  For the renting of any building or room for the purpose of the election and for expenses of heating, lighting and cleaning any building or room for such purpose.

7.  For adapting and fitting up any building or room for the purpose of the election (including the provision of voting compartments and any necessary furniture) and restoring it to fit condition for its normal use.

8.  For providing ballot boxes, including any repairs.

9.  For the conveyance of ballot boxes and ballot papers in those cases where the cost of transport is not included in the travelling expenses of presiding officers and poll clerks under paragraph 2 of this Part of the Schedule.

10.  For every stamping instrument required to be purchased, hired, altered or repaired.

11.  For copies of the electoral register.

12.  For general stationery, postage, telephone calls, bank charges and miscellaneous expenses.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order specifies, in relation to Northern Ireland, the expenses incurred by the returning officer for the purposes of or in connection with a parliamentary election in respect of which he is entitled to recover his charges. The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the returning officer for each constituency in Northern Ireland by virtue of section 26 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. The Schedule to the Order is in two parts–

Part A lists expenses incurred by the Chief Electoral Officer in respect of which a maximum recoverable amount is specified; and

Part B lists expenses in respect of which no maximum recoverable amount is specified.

The Order replaces the Returning Officer’s Expenses (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1990 (S.I. 1990/1065), which ceased to have effect on the coming into force on 22nd July 1991 of the Representation of the People Act 1991.

(1)

1983 c. 2; section 29 was amended by the Representation of the People Act 1991 (c. 11), section 1.