The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015

Inspection of returns and declarations: candidates

57.—(1) Where the appropriate returning officer receives any return or declaration under article 41, 47, 48 or 49 that returning officer shall—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the return or declaration make a copy of it, and any accompanying documents, available for inspection at the returning officer’s office, or some other convenient place chosen by the returning officer, for a period of two years beginning with the date when the return is received by the returning officer;

(b) if requested to do so by any person, and on payment of the fee set out in paragraph (3) supply that person with a copy of the return or declaration and any accompanying documents.

(2) If any such return contains a statement of donations in accordance with article 47(3)(c) the appropriate returning officer shall secure that the copy of the statement made available for public inspection under paragraph (1)(a) or (as the case may be) supplied under paragraph (1)(b) does not include, in the case of any donation by an individual, the donor’s address.

(3) The fee payable for a copy of any such return or declaration or any accompanying document, shall be at the rate of 20p for each side of each page.

(4) After the expiry of the period of two years mentioned in paragraph (1) the appropriate returning officer—

(a) may cause those returns and declarations (including any accompanying documents) to be destroyed; or

(b) if the candidate or the candidate’s election agent so requires, shall return them to the candidate.

(5) Any returns or declarations delivered under article 41 shall be returned not to a candidate (if the candidate or the candidate’s election agents require) but to the person delivering them, if that person so requires.