European Union Referendum Act 2015

Expenses incurred by persons acting in concert

23 (1) Section 120 of the 2000 Act (returns in respect of referendum expenses and donations) has effect for the purposes of the referendum with the following modifications (as well as with the modification in paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 2 to this Act).

(2) Subsection (2) has effect for the purposes of the referendum as if the “and” after paragraph (c) were omitted and as if after paragraph (c) there were inserted—

“(ca) a declaration under subsection (4A);

(cb) a declaration under subsection (4B); and”.

(3) Subsection (4) has effect for those purposes as if for “(2)” there were substituted “(2)(a) to (c)”.

(4) For the purposes of the referendum the following subsections are to be treated as inserted after subsection (4)—

“(4A) For the purposes of subsection (2)(ca), a declaration under this subsection is a declaration of—

(a) whether there are any referendum expenses, incurred by or on behalf of an individual or body other than the permitted participant to which the return under this section relates, that must under paragraph 22 of Schedule 1 to the European Union Referendum Act 2015 be treated as having been incurred during the referendum period by or on behalf of the permitted participant; and

(b) if so, in the case of each individual or body concerned, its name and the amount of referendum expenses incurred by or on its behalf that must be treated as mentioned in paragraph (a).

(4B) For the purposes of subsection (2)(cb), a declaration under this subsection is a declaration of—

(a) whether there are any referendum expenses incurred by or on behalf of the permitted participant that must under paragraph 22 of Schedule 1 to the European Union Referendum Act 2015 be treated as having been incurred during the referendum period by or on behalf of another individual or body; and

(b) if so, in the case of each such individual or body, its name and the amount of referendum expenses incurred by or on behalf of the permitted participant that must be treated as having been incurred during the referendum period by or on behalf of that individual or body.

(4C) The reference in subsection (4B) to referendum expenses incurred by or on behalf of the permitted participant includes referendum expenses incurred before the person by or on whose behalf the expenses were incurred became a permitted participant.

(4D) Any reference in subsection (4A) or (4B) to referendum expenses that must be treated under paragraph 22 of Schedule 1 to the European Union Referendum Act 2015 as having been incurred during the referendum period by or on behalf of a particular person includes—

(a) referendum expenses that under that paragraph must be treated as having been incurred by or on behalf of that person only; and

(b) referendum expenses that, under that paragraph, must be treated as having also been incurred by or on behalf of that person.

(4E) Any reference in subsection (4A)(b) or (4B)(b) to the name of an individual or body is to be read, where the individual or body is a permitted participant, as a reference to the name under which that permitted participant is registered in the register under section 107.”