The National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers’ Charges) (Amendment) Order 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order provides for payments for services and expenses of returning officers in connection with the conduct of National Assembly for Wales elections.

This Order amends the National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/417 (W. 133)) (“the 2016 Order”). It is made under article 23 of the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/236). Article 23 provides that a constituency or a regional returning officer is entitled to recover charges in respect of services rendered or expenses incurred in connection with an Assembly election.

Article 3(2) amends article 2 of the 2016 Order by removing the definition of “PCC election”.

Article 3(3) amends articles 4, 5(1), 6(1), 7, 8(1) and 9(1) of the 2016 Order by removing references to Police and Crime Commissioner elections (referred to in the 2016 Order as a PCC election).

As amended, article 4 of the 2016 Order specifies that the overall maximum recoverable amount for a contested Assembly constituency election is as shown in column 4 of the table in Schedule 1 to that Order.

As amended, article 5 of the 2016 Order specifies that the maximum recoverable amount for services at a contested Assembly constituency election is as shown in column 2 of the table in Schedule 1 to that Order.

As amended, article 6 of the 2016 Order specifies that the maximum recoverable amount for expenses at a contested Assembly constituency election is as shown in column 3 of the table in Schedule 1 to that Order.

As amended, article 7 of the 2016 Order specifies that the overall maximum recoverable amount for a contested Assembly regional election is as shown in column 4 of the table in Schedule 2 to that Order.

As amended, article 8 of the 2016 Order specifies that the maximum recoverable amount for services at a contested Assembly regional election is as shown in column 2 of the table in Schedule 2 to that Order.

As amended, article 9 of the 2016 Order specifies that the maximum recoverable amount for expenses at a contested Assembly regional election is as shown in column 3 of the table in Schedule 2 to that Order.

Article 3(3) of this Order also removes the references to Police and Crime Commissioner elections from the headings to articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of, and Schedule 2 to, the 2016 Order.

Article 3(4) substitutes Schedule 1 to the 2016 Order. The table contained at substituted Schedule 1 lists the overall maximum recoverable amount (column 4), and the maximum recoverable amounts for services (column 2) and expenses (column 3), by a constituency returning officer for, or in connection with, a contested election to the National Assembly for Wales.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice in the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to this Order. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with this Order.