The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer’s Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer’s Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 17th March 1997.

(2) This Order shall extend to Northern Ireland only.

(3) The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer’s Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 1994(1) is hereby revoked.

2.—(1) 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 specified in an order made under that provision and the charges are reasonable), expenses of a kind described in paragraphs 1(1), 2(1), 3(1) and 4(1) of Part A of the Schedule to this Order (hereafter referred to as “expenses specified in Part A of the Schedule”) and expenses of a kind described in Part B of the Schedule to this Order, are hereby specified.

(2) The maximum recoverable amounts at a contested election in respect of the expenses specified in Part A of the Schedule are hereby specified as the amounts set out in the right-hand column of that Part in respect of each entry set out opposite thereto in the left-hand column of that Part.

(3) The maximum recoverable amount at an uncontested election is hereby specified as £912.52 in respect of the expenses specified in Part A of the Schedule.

(4) In the Schedule to this Order—

(a) “election” means a parliamentary election, and

(b) any reference to the register of electors is to the register of electors used at the election at which the expenses were incurred and to that register as first published.

Northern Ireland Office

P. B. B. Mayhew

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

4th March 1997

We consent to this Order.

Gyles Brandreth

Roger Knapman

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

5th March 1997