Verification number
4.—(1) Not later than four weeks after the date on which these Regulations come into force, the proper officer of each authority shall publish the number that is equal to 10% of the number of local government electors for the authority’s area as shown in the electoral register or registers published and having effect for the authority’s area for the period commencing on 16th February 2001(1).
(2) Subject to paragraph (3) the number published in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be used for verification purposes in relation to any petition presented to the authority before 1st April 2002.
(3) Where the number published in 2002 in accordance with paragraph (4) is less than the number published in 2001, the number to be used for verification purposes, in relation to any petition presented to the authority in the period beginning on the date of publication of the lesser number and ending immediately before 1st April 2002, shall be that lesser number.
(4) Subject to paragraph (5), in each year commencing with the year beginning on 1st January 2002, the proper officer of each authority shall, within the period of 14 days beginning with 15th February publish the number that is equal to 10% of the number of local government electors for the authority’s area shown in the revised version of the register or, as the case may be, the registers having effect for that area on that 15th February(2).
(5) Where the whole of the period of 12 months beginning with 1st April in any year to which paragraph (4) applies falls within a moratorium period, that paragraph shall not apply as respects the years in which part of that period of 12 months falls.
(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the number published in each year in accordance with paragraph (4) shall be used for verification purposes in relation to any petition presented to the authority in the period of 12 months beginning with 1st April in that year.
(7) Where the number published in any year after 2002 in accordance with paragraph (4) is less than the number published in the preceding year, the number to be used for verification purposes, in relation to any petition presented to the authority in the period beginning on the date of pubication of the lesser number and ending immediately before 1st April in that year, shall be that lesser number.
(8) The proper officer may, in connection with the discharge of the duty imposed by paragraphs (1) and (4), make a request in writing to an electoral registration officer to provide the proper officer with information relevant to the number that is to be published in accordance with either of those paragraphs; and an electoral registration officer who receives such a request shall comply with it within the period of seven days beginning with the day on which the request is received.
Section 13 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) substituted by the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2), Schedule 2, paragraph 6 on 16 February 2001.
See section 13(5) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 substituted by the Representation of the People Act 2000, Schedule 1, paragraph 6, as to the period for which registers have effect.