The National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 1999

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 1999 and shall come into force on 8th April 1999.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order, except where the context otherwise requires–

• “Assembly constituency” and “Assembly electoral region” are to be construed in accordance with section 2(2) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Government of Wales Act 1998(1),

• “Assembly election” means a constituency election or a regional election,

• “constituency election” means an election to return an Assembly member for an Assembly constituency,

• “constituency returning officer” means the person who is the returning officer for a constituency election,

• “ordinary election” means the holding of constituency and regional elections for the return of all Assembly members,

• “regional election” means an election to return Assembly members for an Assembly electoral region,

• “regional returning officer” means the person who is the returning officer for a regional election,

• “the Assembly” means the National Assembly for Wales,

• “the 1999 Order” means the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 1999, and

• any reference to a register of electors is a reference to the register (or registers) of electors used at an Assembly election and to the register (or registers) as first published.

Specification for the purposes of article 20 of the 1999 Order

3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), for the purposes of article 20(1)(a) of the 1999 Order, the following services or expenses are hereby specified for, or in connection with, an Assembly election–

(a) services of a kind described in paragraphs 1(1), 2(1) and 3(1) of the Schedule,

(b) expenses of a kind described in paragraphs 4(1), 5(1), 6(1), 7(1) and 8(1) of the Schedule, and

(c) expenses of a kind described in paragraphs 10 to 18 of the Schedule.

(2) But where in relation to an Assembly constituency there is an uncontested regional election (whether or not at an ordinary election) the specification under paragraph (1) shall not have effect in relation to–

(a) services of a kind described in paragraphs 1(1) and 2(1) of the Schedule, and

(b) expenses of a kind described in paragraphs 4(1), 5(1), 6(1) and 7(1) of the Schedule,

in relation to that Assembly constituency at the regional election.

(3) Paragraphs (4) to (6) of this article specify maximum recoverable amounts for the purposes of article 20(2) of the 1999 Order in respect of the specified services and expenses in Parts I and II of the Schedule.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), at a contested Assembly election the maximum recoverable amounts set out in the Schedule in relation to the specified services and expenses in Parts I and II of the Schedule are hereby specified as the maximum recoverable amounts in relation to those services and expenses.

(5) But where at an ordinary election in relation to an Assembly constituency there are polls at a constituency election and at a regional election any maximum recoverable amount specified by this Order shall have effect in relation to both elections in relation to that Assembly constituency where (apart from this paragraph) it would otherwise have effect in relation to each such election.

(6) At an uncontested Assembly election the maximum recoverable amounts are hereby specified as–

(a) £387.30 for a constituency returning officer at a constituency election in respect of the specified services in Part I of the Schedule,

(b) £77.46 for a regional returning officer at a regional election in respect of the specified services in Part I of the Schedule,

(c) £958.69 for a constituency returning officer at a constituency election in respect of the specified expenses in Part II of the Schedule, and

(d) £191.76 for a regional returning officer at a regional election in respect of the specified expenses in Part II of the Schedule.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Wales

Peter Hain

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Welsh Office

22nd March 1999

We consent to this Order

Jim Dowd

Bob Ainsworth

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

25th March 1999