sections 10A(7) and (9)52, 13A(6), 5353 and 201(1) and (3)54 of, rule 2455 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 256 to, the Representation of the People Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”);

sections 3(5), (6) and (7)57 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (“the 1985 Act”);

having regard to the definition of “prescribed” in section 202(1) of the 1983 Act, sections 4(4)58, 9(2)59, 10A(1), (3), (6) and (7), 13(3), 13A(2), 13B(3), 14(1), 16, 56(1) and (5), 75(3) and 89(1) of, and rules 24, 28(3), 29(3A)60 and 32(3) in Schedule 1 to, that Act;

having regard to the definition of “prescribed” in section 202(1) of the 1983 Act and section 27(2) of the 1985 Act, sections 2(3), 6(1) and (5), 7(1) and (3), 8(6) and (7) and 9(4), (7) and (8) of the 1985 Act61;

having regard to the designation62 of the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 197263 in relation to measures relating to the rights of citizens of the Union to vote at European Parliamentary elections and local elections in Northern Ireland, that section 2(2); and

paragraph 2(4)(b) of Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections Act 197864.