Search Legislation

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes over time for: Cross Heading: Financial limits on controlled expenditure

 Help about opening options

Changes to legislation:

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, Cross Heading: Financial limits on controlled expenditure is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 28 March 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

Financial limits [F1on controlled expenditure] U.K.

Textual Amendments

94 Limits on controlled expenditure by third parties.U.K.

(1)Schedule 10 has effect for imposing limits on controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of recognised third parties in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland [F2, or in particular parliamentary constituencies,] during the periods specified in that Schedule.

(2)Where during a regulated period any controlled expenditure is incurred in a relevant part of the United Kingdom [F3or a parliamentary constituency] by or on behalf of a recognised third party in excess of the limit imposed by Schedule 10 in relation to that period and part of the United Kingdom [F4or parliamentary constituency], then—

(a)if the third party is not an individual—

(i)the responsible person is guilty of an offence if he authorised the expenditure to be incurred by or on behalf of the third party and he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit, and

(ii)the third party is also guilty of an offence;

(b)if the third party is an individual, he is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit.

(3)Subsection (4) applies where—

[F5(a)[F6any of the following sub-paragraphs applies—

(ai)during a regulated period in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 7, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections or general elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly), any controlled expenditure is incurred by or on behalf of a third party in excess of £10,000;]

(i)during a regulated period, any controlled expenditure is incurred in a part of the United Kingdom by or on behalf of a third party in excess of the limit for that part of the United Kingdom mentioned in subsection (5) [F7;]

(ii)during a regulated period in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections), any controlled expenditure is incurred in a particular parliamentary constituency by or on behalf of a third party in excess of the limit mentioned in subsection (5ZA),] and

[F8(b)the third party—

(i)in a case within paragraph (a)(ai) or (ii), is not a recognised third party;

(ii)in a case within paragraph (a)(i), is not a recognised third party or, where the regulated period is one in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 7, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10, is a recognised third party but is subject to the lower-tier expenditure limits.]

[F9(3A)For provision requiring certain controlled expenditure to be disregarded in determining for the purposes of subsection (3)(a) whether a limit is exceeded, see section 94B(3) (arrangements between third parties notified to the Commission).]

(4)In [F10the case mentioned in subsection (3)]

(a)if the third party is not an individual—

(i)any person who authorised the expenditure to be incurred by or on behalf of the third party is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit, and

(ii)the third party is also guilty of an offence;

(b)if the third party is an individual, he is guilty of an offence if he knew or ought reasonably to have known that the expenditure would be incurred in excess of that limit.

[F11(4ZA)In its application to a case within subsection (3)(a)(i) where the third party is a recognised third party that is subject to the lower-tier expenditure limits, the reference in subsection (4)(a)(i) to any person who authorised the expenditure to be incurred is to be read as a reference to the responsible person.]

[F12(4A)It is a defence for any person or third party charged with an offence under subsection (2) or (4) to show—

(a)that any code of practice for the time being issued under paragraph 3 of Schedule 8A was complied with in determining whether any expenditure is controlled expenditure for the purposes of this Part, and

(b)that the offence would not have been committed on the basis of the controlled expenditure as determined in accordance with the code.]

(5)The limits referred to in subsection [F13(3)(a)(i)] are as follows—

(a)[F14£20,000 ] for England; and

(b)[F15£10,000 ] for each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

[F16(5ZA)The limit referred to in subsection (3)(a)(ii) is 0.05% of the total of the maximum campaign expenditure limits in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.]

F17(5A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)Where—

(a)during a regulated period any controlled expenditure is incurred in a particular part of the United Kingdom [F18or a particular parliamentary constituency] by or on behalf of a third party, and

(b)the expenditure is so incurred in pursuance of a plan or other arrangement whereby controlled expenditure is to be incurred by or on behalf of—

(i)that third party, and

(ii)one or more other third parties,

respectively [F19and the expenditure] can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve a common purpose falling within section [F2085(2)(b)],

the expenditure mentioned in paragraph (a) shall be treated for the purposes of this section [F21, sections 94D to 94H] and Schedule 10 as having also been incurred, during the period and in the part of the United Kingdom [F22or parliamentary constituency] concerned, by or on behalf of the other third party (or, as the case may be, each of the other third parties) mentioned in paragraph (b)(ii).

(7)Subsection (6) applies whether or not any of the third parties in question is a recognised third party.

(8)Where—

(a)at any time before the beginning of any regulated period any expenses within section 85(2) are incurred by or on behalf of a third party in respect of any property, services or facilities, but

(b)the property, services or facilities is or are made use of by or on behalf of the third party during the regulated period in circumstances such that, had any expenses been incurred in respect of that use during that period, they would by virtue of section 85(2) have constituted controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party during that period,

the appropriate proportion of the expenses mentioned in paragraph (a) shall be treated for the purposes of this section [F23, sections 94A and 94B] [F24, sections 94D to 94H], sections 96 to [F2599A] and Schedule 10 as controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party during that period.

[F26(8A)Where the period is one in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 7, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections or general elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly), property, services or facilities are made use of on behalf of a third party for the purposes of subsection (8)(b) only if their use on behalf of the third party is directed, authorised or encouraged by the third party or (where the third party is a recognised third party and is not an individual) by the third party or the responsible person.]

(9)For the purposes of subsection (8) the appropriate proportion of the expenses mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection is such proportion of those expenses as is reasonably attributable to the use made of the property, services or facilities as mentioned in paragraph (b).

(10)For the purposes of this section [F27, sections 94A and 94B] [F28, sections 94D to 94H], sections 96 to [F2999A] and Schedule 10—

(a)a “regulated period” is F30... a period in relation to which any limit is imposed by Schedule 10;

(b)any reference to controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a recognised third party during a regulated period includes any controlled expenditure so incurred during that period at any time before the third party became a recognised third party;

(c)a part of the United Kingdom is a “relevant part” if any limit imposed by Schedule 10 applies to controlled expenditure which is incurred in that part; F31...

(d)any reference to controlled expenditure being incurred in a part of the United Kingdom shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Schedule.

[F32(e)the “maximum campaign expenditure limit” in a part of the United Kingdom is the limit imposed by paragraph 3 of Schedule 9 in relation to campaign expenditure incurred in the relevant period (within the meaning of that paragraph) by or on behalf of a registered party which contests all the constituencies in that part (and to which sub-paragraph (6) of that paragraph does not apply).]

[F33(f)any reference to controlled expenditure being incurred in a parliamentary constituency shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 2A of Schedule 10.]

[F34(10A)Where an offence under subsection (4) is committed in the case of a recognised third party that is subject to the lower-tier expenditure limits—

(a)the third party ceases to be subject to those limits at the time the offence is committed, and

(b)this Part then applies to the third party as if the notification under section 88(1) which is for the time being in force in relation to the third party did not contain a statement under section 88(3D).]

F35(11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1S. 94 wholly in force at 16.2.2001; s. 94 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 163(2); s. 94 in force at 16.2.2001 by S.I. 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)

[F3694AArrangements between third parties notified to the CommissionU.K.

(1)A recognised third party may, at any time before the end of a regulated period, send a notice to the Commission—

(a)stating that it is party to an arrangement of the kind mentioned in section 94(6),

(b)undertaking to be a lead campaigner in relation to the arrangement, and

(c)identifying one or more other third parties that are parties to the arrangement and have undertaken to be minor campaigners in relation to it.

(2)A recognised third party that has sent a notice under subsection (1) may, at any time before the end of the regulated period, send one or more supplementary notices to the Commission identifying additional third parties that are parties to the arrangement and have undertaken to be minor campaigners in relation to it.

(3)As from the date of receipt by the Commission of—

(a)a notice under subsection (1), the recognised third party that sent the notice becomes “a lead campaigner” in relation to the arrangement;

(b)a notice under subsection (1) or (2), a third party identified in the notice becomes “a minor campaigner” in relation to the arrangement.

(4)A notice under subsection (1) or (2) may not—

(a)identify as a minor campaigner a third party that is a lead campaigner in relation to the same arrangement, F37...

F37(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)The Commission must, as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving—

(a)a notice under subsection (1), enter in the register maintained under section 89 (register of notifications) the fact that the recognised third party that sent the notice is a lead campaigner in relation to the arrangement;

(b)a notice under subsection (1) or (2), enter in that register the name of each third party identified in the notice and the fact that it is a minor campaigner in relation to the arrangement.

[F38(5A)A recognised third party that is subject to the lower-tier expenditure limits may not send a notice under subsection (1).]

(6)For provision about the effect of sending a notice under this section, see section 94B.

94BEffect where arrangements are notified under section 94AU.K.

(1)Subsection (2) applies where controlled expenditure is incurred during a regulated period in a part of the United Kingdom—

(a)by or on behalf of a minor campaigner in relation to an arrangement, and

(b)in pursuance of the arrangement.

(2)The expenditure is treated for the purposes of sections 96 to 99A (returns as to controlled expenditure) as having also been incurred, during the period and in the part of the United Kingdom concerned, by or on behalf of any lead campaigner in relation to the arrangement who sent a notice under section 94A(1) or (2) identifying the minor campaigner.

(3)In determining for the purposes of section 94(3)(a) whether a limit is exceeded by a third party during a regulated period, controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party is to be disregarded if—

(a)conditions A and B are met in relation to the expenditure, and

(b)condition C is met.

(4)Condition A is that the expenditure—

(a)is incurred in pursuance of an arrangement that has been notified to the Commission under section 94A(1), and

(b)is, by virtue of section 94(6), treated for the purposes of section 94 and Schedule 10 as incurred by or on behalf of the third party.

(5)Condition B is that the third party is, at the time the expenditure is incurred, a minor campaigner in relation to the arrangement.

(6)Condition C is that—

(a)the total of the controlled expenditure incurred during the regulated period in any part of the United Kingdom by or on behalf of the third party, disregarding any expenditure in relation to which conditions A and B are met, does not exceed the limit for that part mentioned in section 94(5), and

(b)in the case of a regulated period in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 9 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections), the total of the controlled expenditure incurred during the regulated period in any particular constituency by or on behalf of the third party, disregarding any expenditure in relation to which conditions A and B are met, does not exceed the limit mentioned in section 94(5ZA).

(7)References in subsection (6) to controlled expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the third party include controlled expenditure that is, by virtue of section 94(6), treated for the purposes of section 94 and Schedule 10 as so incurred.]

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act as a PDF

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Act without Schedules as a PDF

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act

The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Act without Schedules

The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open Schedules only

The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources