Part I

The Electoral Commission

Strategy and policy statement

Power to revise statement
4E
1
The Secretary of State may revise a statement designated under section 4A otherwise than in consequence of a review under section 4D.
2
The power under subsection (1) may be exercised—
a
on the Secretary of State’s own initiative,
b
at the request of the Commission, where the request—
i
is made by notice given to the Secretary of State and the Speaker’s Committee, and
ii
gives details of the changes to the statement that the Commission propose should be made, or
c
at the request of the Speaker’s Committee, where the request—
i
is made by notice given to the Secretary of State, and
ii
gives details of the changes to the statement that the Speaker’s Committee propose should be made.
3
Where a request is made in accordance with subsection (2)(b) or (c), the Secretary of State must inform the Commission or the Speaker’s Committee (as the case may be) how the Secretary of State proposes to deal with the request.
4
Where the Secretary of State revises the statement under subsection (1)—
a
the Secretary of State must designate the revised statement under section 4A(1), and
b
subject to subsection (5), sections 4A(2) to (7) and 4C apply to the revised statement and its designation in accordance with paragraph (a) as they apply to the original statement.
5
The Secretary of State may determine in a particular case that section 4C(2) to (6) (consultation and pre-designation requirements) does not apply in relation to the revised statement.
6
Before making a determination under subsection (5), the Secretary of State—
a
must give notice to the Speaker’s Committee of the proposed determination (giving details of the revisions to the statement), and
b
must consider any representations made by the Speaker’s Committee in response to the notice.
7
Where the Secretary of State makes a determination under subsection (5), the Secretary of State must notify the following of the revisions to the statement—
a
the Commission,
b
the Speaker’s Committee, and
c
the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee,
and section 4C(11) and (12) apply for the purposes of paragraph (c) as they apply for the purposes of section 4C(2)(c).
8
Subsection (9) applies where the Secretary of State makes a determination under subsection (5) despite the Speaker’s Committee objecting to the proposed determination.
9
When laying the revised statement before Parliament in accordance with section 4C(7)
(a)
, the Secretary of State must also lay before Parliament a statement of the Secretary of State’s reasons for the determination.
10
For the purposes of this section, corrections of clerical or typographical errors do not count as a revision of the statement.
Ss. 4A-4E and cross-heading inserted (19.8.2022) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), ss. 16, 67(1); S.I. 2022/908, reg. 2