Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

Valid from 01/12/2010

[F1 6 (1) The Commission may retain any documents delivered to them in compliance with an order under paragraph 4 for a period of three months (or for longer if any of following sub-paragraphs applies). U.K.

In this paragraph “the documents” and “the three-month period” mean the documents and the period mentioned above.

(2) If within the three-month period proceedings to which the documents are relevant are commenced against any person for any criminal offence, the documents may be retained until the conclusion of those proceedings.

(3) If within the three-month period the Commission serve a notice under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 19C of a proposal to impose a fixed monetary penalty on any person and the documents are relevant to the decision to serve the notice, the documents may be retained—

(a) until liability for the penalty is discharged as mentioned in paragraph 2(2) of that Schedule (if it is);

(b) until the Commission decide not to impose a fixed monetary penalty (if that is what they decide);

(c) until the end of the period given by sub-paragraph (5) (if they do impose a fixed monetary penalty).

(4) If within the three-month period the Commission serve a notice under paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 19C of a proposal to impose a discretionary requirement on any person and the documents are relevant to the decision to serve the notice, the documents may be retained—

(a) until the Commission decide not to impose a discretionary requirement (if that is what they decide);

(b) until the end of the period given by sub-paragraph (5) (if they do impose a discretionary requirement).

(5) If within the three-month period—

(a) a notice is served imposing a fixed monetary penalty on any person under paragraph 2(4) of Schedule 19C and the documents are relevant to the decision to impose the penalty, or

(b) a notice is served imposing a discretionary requirement on any person under paragraph 6(5) of that Schedule and the documents are relevant to the decision to impose the requirement,

the documents may be retained until the end of the period allowed for bringing an appeal against that decision or (if an appeal is brought) until the conclusion of proceedings on the appeal.

(6) If within the three-month period—

(a) a stop notice is served on any person under paragraph 10 of Schedule 19C, and

(b) the documents are relevant to the decision to serve the notice,

the documents may be retained until the end of the period allowed for bringing an appeal against that decision or (if an appeal is brought) until the conclusion of proceedings on the appeal.

(7) If within the three-month period or the period given by sub-paragraph (6) (or, if applicable, by sub-paragraph (4) or (5)(b))—

(a) the Commission, having served a stop notice on any person under paragraph 10 of Schedule 19C, decide not to issue a completion certificate under paragraph 12 of that Schedule in relation to the stop notice, and

(b) the documents are relevant to the decision not to issue the certificate,

the documents may be retained until the end of the period allowed for bringing an appeal against that decision or (if an appeal is brought) until the conclusion of proceedings on the appeal.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 19B inserted (prosp.) by Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 (c. 12), ss. 2(2), 43, Sch. 1