The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008

Supply on publication and specific restrictions N.I.

Supply of free copy of full register to the British Library N.I.

96.  The registration officer shall supply, free of charge on publication, one printed copy of—

(a) any revised version of the register published under section 13(1) or (3) of the 1983 Act; and

(b) any list of overseas electors,

to the British Library.

Supply of free copy of full register to deputy returning officer at local elections and restrictions on use N.I.

97.—(1) Not later than five days before the last date for the publication of the notice of election at a local election, the registration officer shall supply free of charge to the deputy returning officer (within the meaning of article 9(2) of the Electoral Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(1)) at that election as many printed copies of—

(a) the latest revised version of the register published under section 13(1) or (3) of the 1983 Act, as the case may be; and

(b) any notice setting out an alteration to that version of the register published under section 13A(2) or 13BA(3),(6) or (9) of that Act,

as the deputy returning officer may reasonably require for the purposes of the election, together with one copy in data form.

(2) No person to whom a copy of the register has been supplied under this regulation may—

(a) supply a copy of the full register;

(b) disclose any information contained in it (and not contained in the edited register); or

(c) make use of any such information,

other than for the purposes of the election.

(3) The restrictions in paragraph (2) apply to a person to whom a copy of the full register has been supplied in accordance with this regulation or to whom such information has been so disclosed as it applies to the person to whom a copy of the register has been so supplied.

Supply of free copy of full register etc to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and restrictions on use N.I.

98.—(1) The registration officer shall supply, free of charge on publication, one copy of—

(a) any revised version of the register published under section 13(1) or (3) of the 1983 Act;

(b) any notice setting out an alteration to the register published under section 13A(2) or 13BA(3),(6) or (9) of that Act; and

(c) any list of overseas electors,

to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (in this regulation referred to as “the Agency”).

(2) In paragraph (1) the duty to supply is a duty to supply in data form unless, prior to publication, the Agency has requested in writing a printed copy instead.

(3) No person employed by the Agency may—

(a) supply a copy of the full register other than to another such person;

(b) disclose any information contained in it (and not contained in the edited register) otherwise than in accordance with paragraph (4); or

(c) process or make use of any such information other than for statistical purposes.

(4) Such information may not be disclosed otherwise than—

(a) by allowing a person using the premises of the Agency to inspect it under supervision; and

(b) by publishing information about electors which does not include the name or address of any elector.

(5) A person who inspects the full register may not—

(a) make copies of any part of it; or

(b) record any particulars included in it,

otherwise than by means of hand-written notes.

Supply of free copy of full register etc to Electoral Commission N.I.

99.—(1) The registration officer shall supply, free of charge and on publication, one copy of—

(a) any revised version of the register published under section 13(1) or (3) of the 1983 Act;

(b) any notice setting out an alteration to the register published under section 13A(2) or 13BA(3),(6) or (9) of that Act; and

(c) any list of overseas electors,

to the Electoral Commission (in this regulation referred to as “the Commission”).

(2) In paragraph (1) the duty to supply is a duty to supply in data form unless, prior to publication, the Commission has requested in writing a printed copy instead.

(3) Neither an Electoral Commissioner nor any employee of the Commission may—

(a) supply a copy of the full register otherwise than to an Electoral Commissioner or such an employee;

(b) disclose any information contained in it (and not contained in the edited register) otherwise than in accordance with paragraph (4); or

(c) make use of any such information otherwise than in connection with the Commission’s functions under, or by virtue of, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000(2).

(4) Neither the full register nor any such information may be disclosed otherwise than—

(a) where necessary to discharge the Commission’s functions in relation to Part 4 and Part 4A(3) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000; or

(b) by publishing information about electors which does not include the name or address of any elector.

(5) In this regulation “Electoral Commissioner” includes a Deputy Electoral Commissioner and an Assistant Electoral Commissioner.

Supply of free copy of full register etc to Local Government Boundary Commissioner, the Boundary Commission and the District Electoral Areas Commissioner and restrictions on use N.I.

100.—(1) The registration officer shall supply, free of charge and on publication, one copy of each of the documents listed in paragraph (4) to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland.

(2) On the appointment of a Local Government Boundary Commissioner under section 50(1) or (4) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972(4), the registration officer shall supply to him free of charge one copy of each of the documents listed in paragraph (4).

(3) On the appointment of the District Electoral Areas Commissioner under article 2 or 3 of the District Electoral Areas Commissioner (Northern Ireland) Order 1984(5) the registration officer shall supply to him, free of charge one copy of each of the documents listed in paragraph (4).

(4) Those documents are—

(a) any revised version of the register published under section 13(1) or (3) of the 1983 Act;

(b) any notice setting out an alteration to the register published under section 13A(2) or 13BA(3),(6) or (9) of that Act; and

(c) any list of overseas electors.

(5) In paragraphs (1) to (3) the duty to supply is a duty to supply in data form unless—

(a) in the case of paragraph (1), prior to publication the Commission have, or

(b) in the case of paragraphs (2) and (3), prior to supply the Commissioner has,

requested in writing a printed copy instead.

(6) In paragraph (7) “a relevant person” means—

(a) a member of the Commission referred to in paragraph (1) or—

(i) a person employed by that Commission; or

(ii) a person appointed to assist that Commission to carry out their functions;

(b) the Commissioner referred to in paragraphs (2) or (3) or any person appointed to assist him.

(7) A relevant person may not—

(a) supply a copy of the full version of the register otherwise than to another relevant person;

(b) disclose any information contained in it (and not contained in the edited register) otherwise than by publishing information about electors which does not include the name and address of any elector;

(c) process or make use of any such information other than in connection with the statutory functions in question.

(1)

S.I. 1972/1264 (N.I. 13).

(2)

2000 c.41.

(3)

Part 4 was amended by Part 3 of the Miscellaneous Provisions Act for Northern Ireland and was modified in its application to Northern Ireland by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (Northern Ireland Political Parties) Order 2007 (S.I.2007/ 2501) and Part 4A was inserted by section 61 of the 2002 Act.

(4)

1972 c. 9 (N.I.); section 50 was substituted by the Local Government (Boundaries)(Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I.2006/1253)(N.I.8).

(5)

S.I.1984/360; articles 2 and 3 of the 1984 Order were substituted by articles 3 and 4 of the District Electoral Areas Commissioner (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I.2007/612)(N.I.4) respectively.