The National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers' Charges) (Amendment) Order 2012

This Order provides for payments for services and expenses of returning officers in connection with the conduct of National Assembly for Wales elections.

This Order amends The National Assembly for Wales (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/632) (W.92)) (“the 2011 Order”). This Order is made under article 23 of the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/236). Article 23 provides that a constituency or a regional returning officer is entitled to recover charges in respect of services rendered or expenses incurred in connection with an Assembly election.

Article 3(2) of this Order amends articles 4, 5(1), 6(1), 7, 8(1) and 9(1) of the 2011 Order by removing references to the Alternative Vote Referendum. As amended, article 4 of the 2011 Order specifies the overall maximum recoverable amount for a contested Assembly constituency election as shown in column 4 of the table in Schedule 1. As amended, article 5 of the 2011 Order specifies the maximum recoverable amount for services at a contested Assembly constituency election as shown in column 2 of the table in Schedule 1. As amended, article 6 of the 2011 Order specifies the maximum recoverable amount for expenses at a contested Assembly constituency election as shown in column 3 of the table in Schedule 1. As amended, article 7 of the 2011 Order specifies the overall maximum recoverable amount for a contested Assembly regional election as shown in column 4 of the table in Schedule 2. As amended, article 8 of the 2011 Order specifies the maximum recoverable amount for services at a contested Assembly regional election as shown in column 2 of the table in Schedule 2 and article 9, as amended, specifies the maximum recoverable amount for expenses at a contested Assembly regional election as shown in column 3 of the table in Schedule 2. (Article 3(2) also removes references to the Alternative Vote Referendum from the headings to articles 5, 6, 8 and 9 of, and Schedule 2 to, the 2011 Order).

Article 3(3) substitutes Schedule 1 to the 2011 Order. The table contained at substituted Schedule 1 describes the overall maximum recoverable amount and the maximum recoverable amounts for services and expenses by a constituency returning officer for, or in connection with, a contested election to the National Assembly for Wales.