Every authority which, on the coming into force of these Regulations, is a shadow authority, shall, not later than the relevant date, appoint one of their officers to discharge the duties referred to in paragraph (2).

The duties are such duties in relation to any parliamentary election18 for which a writ is issued after the relevant date for any constituency or part of a constituency coterminous with or situated in the authority’s area, as fall to be discharged by the acting returning officer.

A person appointed under paragraph (1) is referred to in the following provisions of this regulation as an “electoral appointee”.

If an electoral appointee dies or otherwise ceases to be the electoral appointee at any time after the date of his or her appointment and before the time at which the duties referred to in paragraph (2) have been fully discharged, the authority shall immediately appoint another of its officers to discharge those duties or such of them as remain to be discharged19.

A person appointed under paragraph (4) is referred to in the following provisions of this regulation as a “substitute appointee”.

If a substitute appointee dies or otherwise ceases to be the substitute appointee during the period referred to in paragraph (4), that paragraph shall apply as if, for “an electoral appointee” and “the electoral appointee”, there were substituted “a substitute appointee” and “the substitute appointee”.

Section 28(1) of the 1983 Act (discharge of returning officer’s functions in England and Wales) shall have effect as regards the period beginning on the day after the relevant date and ending on the reorganisation date as if, after paragraph (aa)20, there were inserted—

An electoral registration officer appointed by a predecessor council under section 8 of the 1983 Act (registration officers) shall not discharge any duties of the returning officer at an election of a description mentioned in paragraph (2), except those mentioned in section 28(2) of that Act.

The person who, immediately before the reorganisation date, is the electoral appointee or substitute appointee of a shadow authority shall, on that date, be deemed to have been appointed the electoral registration officer for any constituency or part of a constituency that is coterminous with or situated in the area of the successor council.

At any time before the reorganisation date, an electoral appointee or a substitute appointee may, after consultation with the persons mentioned in paragraph (11), take such steps as the electoral appointee or substitute appointee considers necessary to prepare for the exercise on and after that date of their functions as electoral registration officer.

The persons are each person who is for the time being an electoral registration officer21 appointed by a predecessor council.

In this regulation—

• “the 1983 Act” means the Representation of the People Act 198322; and

• “the relevant date” means the 30th November that immediately precedes the reorganisation date.