Part 3Anti-fraud measures

15Offences as to false registration information

(1)

Section 13D of the 1983 Act (provision of false information) is amended in accordance with subsections (2) to (8).

(2)

For subsection (1) substitute—

“(1)

A person who for any purpose connected with the registration of electors provides to a registration officer any false information is guilty of an offence.”

(3)

After subsection (1) (as substituted by subsection (2) above) insert—

“(1A)

A person who provides false information in connection with an application (other than an application relating only to a local government election in Scotland) to which any of the following provisions of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (applications relating to absent voting) applies is guilty of an offence—

(a)

paragraph 3(1) or (2);

(b)

paragraph 4(1) or (2);

(c)

paragraph 7(4).”

(4)

In subsection (3) after “subsection (1)” insert “ or (1A) ”.

(5)

In subsection (4) after “subsection (1)” insert “ or (1A) ”.

(6)

In subsection (6)(a) for “six months” substitute “ 51 weeks ”.

(7)

After subsection (6) insert—

“(7)

In the application of subsection (6)(a) to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the reference to 51 weeks must be taken to be a reference to six months.

(8)

In relation to an offence committed before the commencement of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the reference in subsection (6)(a) to 51 weeks must be taken to be a reference to six months.”

(8)

With effect from the commencement of this section, section 13D of the 1983 Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.

(9)

In section 8 of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (c. 13) (short title, interpretation, commencement and extent), in subsection (5) after “Act” insert “ (except section 7) ”.