2014 No. 101

Representation Of The People

The Scottish Independence Referendum (Chief Counting Officer and Counting Officer Charges and Expenses) Order 2014

Made

Laid before the Scottish Parliament

Coming into force

The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 9(3) and (4) of the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 20131.

Citation and commencement1

This Order may be cited as the Scottish Independence Referendum (Chief Counting Officer and Counting Officer Charges and Expenses) Order 2014 and comes into force on 5th May 2014.

Interpretation2

In this Order “the referendum” means the referendum on a question about the independence of Scotland provided for by the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013.

Chief Counting Officer: overall maximum recoverable amount3

The overall maximum amount recoverable by the Chief Counting Officer in respect of the referendum is £350,000.

Chief Counting Officer: maximum recoverable amount for specified services4

1

The total of the charges recoverable by the Chief Counting Officer in respect of the specified services for the referendum cannot exceed £25,000.

2

The specified services are making arrangements for the referendum and discharging the Chief Counting Officer’s duties at the referendum.

Chief Counting Officer: maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses5

1

The total of the expenses recoverable by the Chief Counting Officer in respect of the specified expenses for the referendum cannot exceed £325,000.

2

The specified expenses are costs associated with—

a

the making and management of arrangements for the referendum, including the appointment and payment of persons to assist the Chief Counting Officer;

b

printing, producing and disseminating directions, guidance and forms to counting officers;

c

the collation of the result of the referendum for the whole of Scotland; and

d

communications relating to the referendum and its result.

Counting officers: overall maximum recoverable amount6

The overall maximum amount recoverable by a counting officer in respect of the referendum for each local government area is the amount listed in column 4 of the table in the Schedule to this Order.

Counting officers: maximum recoverable amount for specified services7

1

The total of the charges recoverable by a counting officer in respect of the specified services for the referendum cannot exceed the amount listed for each local government area in column 2 of the table in the Schedule to this Order.

2

The specified services are making arrangements for and conducting the referendum, and discharging the counting officer’s duties at the referendum.

Counting officers: maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses8

1

The total of the expenses recoverable by a counting officer in respect of the specified expenses for the referendum cannot exceed the amount listed for each local government area in column 3 of the table in the Schedule to this Order.

2

The specified expenses are—

a

the appointment and payment of persons to assist the counting officer;

b

travel and overnight subsistence for the counting officer and any person appointed to assist the counting officer;

c

printing or otherwise producing the ballot paper;

d

printing, producing or purchasing stationery to be used for or in connection with postal voting;

e

printing or otherwise producing and arranging for the delivery of the poll cards required by rule 11 of schedule 3 to the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013;

f

printing or otherwise producing and, where appropriate, publishing notices, lists and any other documents required for, or in connection with, the referendum;

g

renting, heating, lighting, cleaning, adapting or restoring any building or room;

h

providing and transporting equipment;

i

providing information and communications technology equipment and software and associated costs;

j

providing security, including any necessary storage of ballot boxes, ballot papers, postal voting statements and documents used to verify personal identifiers on postal voting statements;

k

conducting the verification of personal identifiers on postal voting statements and the count (including counting and recording the number of ballot papers, counting the votes and any recount);

l

providing and receiving training; and

m

providing stationery and meeting postage, telephone, printing, translation and banking costs and the costs of other miscellaneous items.

NICOLA STURGEONA member of the Scottish GovernmentSt Andrew’s House,Edinburgh

SCHEDULECounting officers: maximum recoverable amounts

Articles 6, 7 and 8

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

Local government area

Maximum recoverable amount for specified services

Maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses

Overall maximum recoverable amount

£

£

£

Aberdeen City

8,267

369,080

377,347

Aberdeenshire

9,521

430,220

439,741

Angus

4,227

217,932

222,159

Argyll & Bute

3,248

245,272

248,520

Clackmannanshire

2,500

85,465

87,965

Dumfries & Galloway

5,652

284,552

290,204

Dundee City

5,212

226,147

231,359

East Ayrshire

4,639

197,301

201,940

East Dunbartonshire

3,965

165,291

169,256

East Lothian

3,760

167,265

171,025

East Renfrewshire

3,421

155,855

159,276

Edinburgh (City of)

16,777

720,790

737,567

Eilean Siar

2,500

82,962

85,462

Falkirk

5,536

215,235

220,771

Fife

13,789

614,982

628,771

Glasgow City

22,648

925,123

947,771

Highland

8,821

443,683

452,504

Inverclyde

2,998

126,079

129,077

Midlothian

3,135

130,979

134,114

Moray

3,421

148,114

151,535

North Ayrshire

5,283

212,155

217,438

North Lanarkshire

11,957

488,947

500,904

Orkney Islands

2,500

41,667

44,167

Perth & Kinross

5,414

253,786

259,200

Renfrewshire

6,369

278,990

285,359

Scottish Borders

4,368

223,726

228,094

Shetland Islands

2,500

49,967

52,467

South Ayrshire

4,364

201,925

206,289

South Lanarkshire

11,776

514,858

526,634

Stirling

3,152

137,452

140,604

West Dunbartonshire

3,261

146,999

150,260

West Lothian

6,297

264,573

270,870

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order provides for payments for charges and expenses of the Chief Counting Officer and counting officers in connection with the referendum on Scottish independence to be held on 18 September 2014 under the Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013. Under section 9 of that Act the Chief Counting Officer and counting officers are entitled to recover from the Scottish Ministers the charges and expenses they incur in exercising their functions, provided the amounts sought do not exceed such maximum amounts as are specified in this Order.

Articles 3 to 5 make provision in relation to the Chief Counting Officer.

Articles 6 to 8 and the Schedule make provision in relation to counting officers.