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SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 23U.K. Transitional provisions

Part IIU.K. Other transitional provisions

Appointment of Electoral CommissionersU.K.

8U.K.For the purposes of section 3(2)—

(a)any agreement to a proposed motion for an Address under section 3(1) which has been signified by the Speaker of the House of Commons before the day on which this Act is passed shall be as effective as if signified on or after that day; and

(b)any consultation with respect to such a motion which has been carried out before that day with such a person as is mentioned in section 3(2)(b) shall be as effective as if carried out on or after that day.

Orders specifying organisations which are not to count as accounting unitsU.K.

9U.K.The requirement in section 26(8)(c) for any order under that provision to be made on the recommendation of the Commission shall not apply in relation to any such order which is made before the end of the period of three months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.

Orders prohibiting use of certain words in parties’ registered namesU.K.

10U.K.The requirement in section 28(4)(f) for any order under that provision to be made after consultation with the Commission shall not apply in relation to any such order which is made before the end of the period of three months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.

Confirmation of registered particularsU.K.

11(1)This paragraph applies to a party which is registered under Part II of this Act at the end of the period of nine months beginning with the appointed day.U.K.

(2)The treasurer of the party shall deliver to the Commission a notification which—

(a)complies with the requirements of section 32(2) and (3) (as modified by sub-paragraphs (3) and (4)), and

(b)is accompanied by any fee prescribed by order made by the Secretary of State,

within the period beginning one month before and ending three months after the first anniversary of the appointed day.

(3)In the application of section 32(2)(a) in accordance with sub-paragraph (2), the reference to the relevant time shall be read as a reference to the time when the party applied for registration or, in the case of a party registered by virtue of paragraph 4(2), the appointed day.

(4)In the application of section 32(3) in accordance with sub-paragraph (2), the reference to the relevant time shall be read as a reference to the time when the party applied for registration or, in the case of a party registered by virtue of paragraph 4(2), the time when the documents required under paragraph 3(2) were sent to the Commission.

(5)If the notification required by virtue of sub-paragraph (2) is not delivered before the end of the period mentioned in that sub-paragraph, the person who was the treasurer of the party immediately before the end of that period shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to the same punishment as if he were guilty of an offence under section 47(1)(b).

(6)It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under sub-paragraph (5) to prove that he took all reasonable steps, and exercised all due diligence, to ensure that the notification required by virtue of sub-paragraph (2) would be delivered before the end of the period mentioned in that sub-paragraph.

(7)Any notification delivered under sub-paragraph (2) shall be treated, for the purposes of section 32(4)(b), as a notification given under section 32.

(8)In this paragraph “the appointed day” means the appointed day for the purposes of Part II of this Act.

Control of political donations by companiesE+W+S

12(1)The provisions of Part XA of the Companies Act 1985 inserted by section 139(1) of this Act shall not apply to a company (within the meaning of that Act) in relation to any time falling before the relevant date for the company.

(2)For the purposes of this paragraph the relevant date for a company is—

(a)if an annual general meeting of the company is held within the first commencement year, the date of that meeting; and

(b)otherwise, the date immediately following the end of that year.

(3)In sub-paragraph (2) “the first commencement year” means the period of 12 months beginning with the date of the commencement of section 139(1).

Disclosure of political donations and expenditure in directors’ reportE+W+S

13The provisions of Schedule 7 to the Companies Act 1985 substituted by section 140 of this Act shall, in the case of any company (within the meaning of that Act), apply only in relation to directors’ reports for financial years beginning on or after the first anniversary of the date which is the relevant date for the company for the purposes of paragraph 12.