The Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1991

Statutory Instruments

1991 No. 951

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE

The Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates'Election Expenses) Order 1991

Made

8th April 1991

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(1)

Whereas a draft of this Order has been approved by resolution ofeach House of Parliament;

And whereas in my opinion there has been a change in the value ofmoney since 10th April 1989 justifying the variations made by thisOrder;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me bysections 76A(1) and 197(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983(1), I hereby make the following Order:

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Representation of the People(Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1991 andshall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(2) Articles 6, 7 and 8 of this Order do not extend to Northern Ireland.

(3) In this Order“the Act of 1983” means the Representation of the People Act 1983.

2.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at aparliamentary general election, being an election in a countyconstituency, shall be varied by substituting, for the words“ £3,648” and“4.1p” in section 76(2)(a)(i) of the Act of 1983(2), the words“ £4,144” and“4.7p”, respectively.

3.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at aparliamentary general election, being an election in a boroughconstituency, shall be varied by substituting, for the words“ £3,648” and“3.1p” in section 76(2)(a)(ii) of the Act of 1983, the words“ £4,144” and“3.5p”, respectively.

4.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at aparliamentary by-election in a county constituency shall be varied bysubstituting, for the words“ £14,592” and“16.4p” in section 76(2)(aa)(i) of the Act of 1983(3), the words“ £16,577” and“18.6p”, respectively.

5.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at aparliamentary by-election in a borough constituency shall be varied bysubstituting, for the words“ £14,592” and“12.4p” in section 76(2)(aa)(ii) of the Act of 1983, the words“ £16,577” and“14.1p”, respectively.

6.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a localgovernment election to which section 76(2)(b)(ii) of the Act of 1983(4) applies shall be varied by substituting, for the words“ £162” and“3.2p” in that provision, the words“ £184” and“3.6p”, respectively.

7.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at a wardelection in the City of London shall be varied by substituting, for thewords“ £162” and“3.2p” in section 197(1) of the Act of 1983(5), the words“ £184” and“3.6p”, respectively.

8.  The maximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses at an electionby liverymen in common hall shall be varied by substituting, for thewords“17.1p” in section 197(2) of the Act of 1983(6), the words“19.4p”.

9.  The Representation of the People (Variation of Limits of Candidates'Election Expenses) Order 1987(7) and the Representation of the People (Variation ofLimits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1989(8) are hereby revoked.

Kenneth Baker

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Home Office

8th April 1991

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order increases the maximum amounts of candidates' electionexpenses at parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom (articles 2 to5), local government elections in Great Britain (article 6) and wardelections (article 7) and elections by liverymen in common hall (article8) in the City of London.

The increases are such as are justified by the change in the valueof money since the last occasion on which those maximum amounts werefixed. Except in the case of the increases made by articles 4 and 5, thelast occasion was 10th April 1989 when the Representation of the People(Variation of Limits of Candidates' Election Expenses) Order 1989 wasmade. Articles 4 and 5 concern maximum amounts which are fixed by theprovision inserted into the Representation of the People Act 1983 bysection 6(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act 1989. Undersection 6(2) of the latter Act, those amounts are to be taken to havebeen fixed on 10th April 1989.

Except in the case of the election by liverymen in common hall, themaximum amount of a candidate’s election expenses is made up of a fixedsum (expressed in pounds) plus a sum expressed in pence (and fractionsof pence) for, in the case of parliamentary and local governmentelections, each entry in the register of electors or, in the case ofward elections in the City of London, each elector. The maximum amountof a candidate’s election expenses at the election by liverymen incommon hall is calculated by allowing an amount in pence (and fractionsof pence) for every elector on the common hall register to be used atthe election.

(1)

1983 c. 2; section 76A was inserted by section 14(4) ofthe Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50) and section 197(3) wasamended by paragraph 67(b) of Schedule 4 to that Act.

(2)

Section 76(2)(a) was amended by section 6(l)(a) of theRepresentation of the People Act 1989 (c. 28) and the sums in section76(2)(a) are as substituted by S.I. 1989/634.

(3)

Section 76(2)(aa) was inserted by section 6(l)(b) of theRepresentation of the People Act 1989; see also section 6(2) of thatAct.

(4)

The sums in section 76(2)(b)(ii) are as substituted byS.I. 1989/634.

(5)

The sums in section 197(l) are as substituted by S.I.1989/634.

(6)

Section 197(2) was amended by paragraph 67 of Schedule 4to the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50) and the sums insection 197(2) are as substituted by S.I. 1989/634.

(7)

S.I. 1987/903.

(8)

S.I. 1989/634.