Political Parties and Elections Act 2009

Part 4 Electoral registration

Co-ordinated on-line record of electors

28 Establishment of corporation sole to be CORE keeper

(1) Part 1 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22) (co-ordinated on-line record of electors) is amended as follows.

(2) In section 1 (CORE schemes: establishment), in subsection (10), for “must be a public authority” there is substituted “must be—

(a) a corporation sole established by an order under section 3A, or

(b) some other public authority”.

(3) After section 3 there is inserted—

“3A Establishment of corporation sole to be CORE keeper

(1) The Secretary of State may by order establish a corporation sole (“the corporation”) with a view to its being designated by a CORE scheme as the CORE keeper.

(2) The Secretary of State may also by order establish a panel (“the advisory panel”) to provide advice and support to the corporation.

(3) An order under this section may make—

(a) provision for and in connection with the appointment of—

(i) the occupant of the corporation (“the office-holder”);

(ii) directors of the corporation (including non-executive directors);

(iii) one or more deputies to the office-holder;

(iv) other officers or members of staff of the corporation;

(v) members of the advisory panel.

(b) provision about the terms and conditions of appointment of persons referred to in paragraph (a) (including provision about how and by whom those terms and conditions are to be determined and provision as to their approval);

(c) provision about the payment to or in respect of persons referred to in paragraph (a)(i) to (iv) of remuneration, allowances, expenses, pensions, gratuities or compensation for loss of employment;

(d) provision about the payment of allowances and expenses to members of the advisory panel;

(e) provision about the acquisition and disposal by the corporation, and in particular the transfer to the corporation by the Secretary of State, of property, rights and liabilities;

(f) provision about the transfer of staff to the corporation by the Secretary of State;

(g) provision about the functions of the corporation and of the advisory panel, and about delegation of functions of the office-holder;

(h) provision requiring the corporation to consult the advisory panel in relation to particular matters or in particular circumstances;

(i) provision about accounts and reports, including—

(i) provision requiring accounts and reports of the corporation to be laid before Parliament and published;

(ii) provision about auditing of accounts;

(j) provision about the name of the corporation and of the advisory panel;

(k) incidental, supplementary, consequential or transitional provision.

(4) An order under this section may add such entries to—

(a) the Table in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to the Public Records Act 1958,

(b) Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967,

(c) Schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, or

(d) Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975,

as the Secretary of State considers appropriate in consequence of the establishment of the corporation or the advisory panel.

(5) The Secretary of State may make payments to the corporation of such amounts, at such times and on such conditions (if any) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(6) Neither the corporation nor any person referred to in subsection (3)(a)(i) to (iv) nor the advisory panel is to be regarded as a servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown.”

(4) In section 6 (CORE schemes: procedure)—

(a) in subsection (1), after “section 1” there is inserted “or 3A”;

(b) after subsection (5) there is inserted—

“(6) An order under section 3A must not be made unless the Secretary of State first consults—

(a) the Electoral Commission;

(b) the Information Commissioner.”

29 Use of CORE information

(1) Section 2 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22) (co-ordinated on-line record of electors: use of information) is amended as follows.

(2) At the end of subsection (3) there is inserted—

“Modifications under this subsection may, in particular, provide for the supply of material by a CORE keeper to be subject to conditions or restrictions which do not apply in the case of an ERO (or which differ from those that apply in the case of an ERO).”

(3) After subsection (4) there is inserted—

“(4A) A CORE scheme may amend section 3 of the Juries Act 1974 (electoral register as basis of jury selection)—

(a) so as to require a CORE keeper to supply a designated officer with any documents or information referred to in that section (as it had effect immediately before the establishment of the scheme), and to make provision as to when the CORE keeper is to do so;

(b) so as to require an ERO to supply a designated officer with any such documents or information, but only when requested to do so by the officer.

In this subsection “designated officer” means an officer designated by the Lord Chancellor.”

(4) In subsection (6)—

(a) in paragraph (b), after “is requested” there is inserted “in respect of the same address or”;

(b) in paragraph (c), for “acts as” there is substituted “is appointed as, or votes as,”.

(5) After subsection (6) there is inserted—

“(6A) A CORE scheme may require that where a CORE keeper informs an ERO as mentioned in subsection (5), or informs an ERO of any suspicions that the CORE keeper has concerning the commission of an offence under the 1983 Act or other impropriety—

(a) the ERO must take such steps (if any) as appear to the ERO to be appropriate in response to being so informed;

(b) the ERO must notify the CORE keeper of the steps taken (or of the reasons for not taking any), within such period and in such form and manner as is specified—

(i) in the scheme, or

(ii) by the CORE keeper in accordance with the scheme.”

(6) In subsection (7)(b), after “relating to the person” there is inserted “, or to any such suspicions as are mentioned in subsection (6A),”.

(7) In subsection (11)—

(a) for “must not authorise” there is substituted “must not—

(a) authorise”;

(b) at the end there is inserted—

“(b) authorise one ERO to supply information to another.”

(8) After that subsection there is inserted—

“(11A) A CORE scheme may authorise the CORE keeper to supply information to the Electoral Commission.”

Identifying information

30 Voluntary provision of identifying information

(1) In this section “identifying information”, in relation to a person, means—

(a) the person’s signature or, if the person is someone to whom subsection (2) applies, an indication to that effect;

(b) the person’s date of birth;

(c) the person’s national insurance number or, if the person has no national insurance number, an indication to that effect.

(2) This subsection applies to a person for whom it is not reasonably practicable to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because he or she is blind or has some other disability, or cannot read.

(3) A registration officer, in carrying out his or her functions, including in particular—

(a) maintaining registers under section 9 of the 1983 Act,

(b) conducting canvasses under section 10 of that Act, and

(c) determining applications for registration under section 10A or 13A of that Act,

must take steps to obtain identifying information from each person who is, or who claims to be, entitled to be or to remain registered in any of the officer’s registers.

(4) The steps taken under subsection (3) to collect identifying information must include—

(a) asking for the information, and

(b) explaining how collecting identifying information can help to improve the accuracy of the registers,

but in taking those steps a registration officer must make clear that it is not obligatory to provide the information.

(5) A registration officer must keep a record showing the identifying information obtained under this section.

(6) The duties under this section do not apply at any time before 1 July 2010.

31 Regulations amending or supplementing section 30

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations—

(a) amend subsection (1) or (2) of section 30;

(b) make any other amendments to that section or this section that appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or desirable in consequence of an amendment made by virtue of paragraph (a);

(c) make provision supplementing that section.

(2) The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (1)(c) includes in particular—

(a) provision as to forms on which identifying information may be provided;

(b) provision as to explanations or other material to be provided by registration officers, either on forms of the kind mentioned in paragraph (a) or otherwise;

(c) provision about the form and manner in which records under section 30(5) are to be kept;

(d) provision for the disclosure by the authority responsible for national insurance numbers (the “relevant authority”) to a registration officer or CORE keeper, following a request by that person, of—

(i) the national insurance number recorded in respect of an individual specified or described in the request, or the fact that the individual is not recorded as having a national insurance number, and

(ii) in the case of such an individual recorded as having a national insurance number, any further information about the individual that is recorded by the relevant authority,

for the purpose of checking the accuracy of any information that appears in a register or other record kept by a registration officer (including a record under section 30(5)) or checking a person’s entitlement to be registered in a register;

(e) provision authorising the relevant authority to charge fees to a person making a request of the kind mentioned in paragraph (d) to cover the authority’s reasonable expenses in complying with such requests;

(f) provision for the disclosure by a CORE keeper to a registration officer, for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (d), of information within sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) of that paragraph;

(g) provision as to action to be taken by a registration officer who suspects (whether as a result of checks of the kind referred to in paragraph (d) or otherwise) that any information collected under section 30 is false.

(3) Information obtained by a registration officer or CORE keeper under regulations made by virtue of subsection (2)(d) or (f) may not be disclosed by the officer or CORE keeper except—

(a) for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2)(d), or

(b) for the purposes of any criminal or civil proceedings,

or, in the case of information obtained by a registration officer, to a person to whom the officer may delegate his or her functions.

(4) A person who discloses information in breach of subsection (3) is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine, or to both;

(b) on summary conviction in England and Wales and Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(c) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both.

(5) Regulations under this section may contain transitional or saving provision.

(6) The power to make regulations under this section is exercisable by statutory instrument.

(7) Before making regulations under this section, the Secretary of State—

(a) must consult the Electoral Commission, and

(b) in the case of regulations containing provision amending subsection (1) or (2) of section 30, must seek the Commission’s views as to whether, if it was obligatory for every registered person to provide identifying information, the provision would help or hinder the achievement of the registration objectives.

(8) For the purposes of this Part, the registration objectives are to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable—

(a) that persons who are entitled to be registered in a register are registered in it,

(b) that persons who are not entitled to be registered in a register are not registered in it, and

(c) that none of the information relating to a registered person that appears in a register or other record kept by a registration officer is false.

(9) The first regulations under this section, and any subsequent ones that amend section 30 or this section, may not be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing them has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(10) Any regulations under this section not falling within subsection (9) are subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(11) In this section—

• “CORE keeper” has the same meaning as in Part 1 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22);

• “identifying information” has the same meaning as in section 30.

32 Report by Electoral Commission on provision of identifying information

(1) The Electoral Commission must keep under review the operation of section 30 and any supplementary regulations.

(2) In each calendar year beginning with the year after that in which the duties under that section first arise, the Commission must—

(a) submit to the Secretary of State a report on the operation of that section and any supplementary regulations, and

(b) publish the report in whatever way the Commission think appropriate.

(3) A report under this section must contain an assessment by the Commission—

(a) as to the adequacy of the electoral registration system in Great Britain, with particular reference to the effectiveness of registration officers in meeting the registration objectives;

(b) as to what (if any) changes with regard to that system would be necessary or desirable for meeting those objectives if the provision of identifying information was made obligatory.

(4) The report for 2014 must contain (as well as the assessment mentioned in subsection (3))—

(a) the Commission’s assessment, on the basis of the available evidence (including in particular evidence as to the operation of section 30 and any supplementary regulations), as to whether it would help or hinder the achievement of the registration objectives to make the provision of identifying information obligatory;

(b) the Commission’s recommendation as to whether or not the provision of identifying information should be made obligatory.

(5) The report for 2014 must be—

(a) submitted to the Secretary of State by 31 July in that year, and

(b) laid before Parliament as soon as possible by the Secretary of State.

(6) If—

(a) the recommendation in the report for 2014 is that the provision of identifying information should be made obligatory, and

(b) the recommendation is approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament,

the Secretary of State must as soon as reasonably practicable make an order under section 43(1) bringing section 33 into force.

The Secretary of State may not make such an order if those conditions are not met.

(7) If—

(a) the report for 2014 does not contain a recommendation that the provision of identifying information should be made obligatory, or

(b) the report does contain such a recommendation, but it is not approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament,

within 12 months after the day on which the report is submitted by the Electoral Commission (in the case mentioned in paragraph (a)) or disapproved in Parliament (in the case mentioned in paragraph (b)), the Secretary of State must require the Commission to submit, by a specified date, a further report under this section containing the things mentioned in subsection (4).

(8) For the purposes of subsection (7)—

(a) a report is disapproved in Parliament when either House decides against resolving to approve the report (or, if both Houses so decide on different days, when the first of them so decides);

(b) the date specified by the Secretary of State must be at least one year, but no more than two years, after the day on which the requirement under that subsection is imposed.

(9) Subsections (5)(b) and (6) to (8) apply to a report submitted in response to a requirement under subsection (7) as they apply to the report for 2014.

(10) A registration officer must comply with any request made in writing by the Electoral Commission for assistance that they reasonably require in connection with the preparation of a report under this section.

(11) In this section—

• “identifying information” has the same meaning as in section 30;

• “obligatory” means obligatory for every person registered in a register;

• “supplementary regulations” means regulations under section 31 made by virtue of subsection (1)(c) of that section.

33 Obligatory provision of identifying information

(1) With effect from the commencement of this section, the amendments made to the 1983 Act by section 1 of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (c. 13) extend to the whole of the United Kingdom.

(2) The 1983 Act is amended as follows.

(3) In section 10 (maintenance of registers: annual canvass)—

(a) for subsection (4) there is substituted—

“(4) The form to be used for the purposes of a canvass shall be—

(a) a form prescribed for those purposes, or

(b) a form to the same effect.

Paragraph (b) does not apply in Northern Ireland and, in Great Britain, does not apply if or to the extent that regulations so provide.”;

(b) in subsection (4A), for “a canvass in Northern Ireland” there is substituted “a canvass”;

(c) in subsection (4A)(c), at the beginning of sub-paragraph (ii) there is inserted “in the case of a canvass in Northern Ireland,”;

(d) in subsection (4B), for “The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland” there is substituted “A registration officer”;

(e) after that subsection there is inserted—

“(4C) In relation to each person without a national insurance number to whom the form mentioned in subsection (4) above relates, regulations may require the form to be accompanied by such other evidence to identify the person as may be prescribed.

(4D) A registration officer shall keep a record showing the information obtained under subsection (4A) above or by virtue of subsection (4C) above.”

(4) In section 10ZB (the relevant registration objectives)—

(a) in the heading, the words “(Northern Ireland)” are omitted;

(b) in subsection (3), for “the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland” there is substituted “a registration officer”;

(c) in subsections (4) and (5)(a), for “the Chief Electoral Officer” there is substituted “the registration officer concerned”.

(5) In section 10A (maintenance of registers: registration of electors)—

(a) in subsection (1A), the words “in respect of an address in Northern Ireland” are omitted;

(b) in subsection (1A)(c), at the beginning of sub-paragraph (ii) there is inserted “in the case of an application for registration in respect of an address in Northern Ireland,”;

(c) in subsection (1B), for “The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland” there is substituted “A registration officer”;

(d) after that subsection there is inserted—

“(1C) In relation to each person without a national insurance number to whom an application for registration relates, regulations may require the application to be accompanied by such other evidence to identify the person as may be prescribed.

(1D) A registration officer shall keep a record showing the information obtained under subsection (1A) above or by virtue of subsection (1C) above.”;

(e) in subsection (2)(a), for the words from “the form” to “in a register” there is substituted “a completed form specifies any person as a person who is entitled to be registered in a register in respect of a particular address”;

(f) in subsection (5)(a), for sub-paragraph (i) there is substituted—

“(i) no canvass form was returned showing the elector as resident at that address on that date, or”;

(g) in subsection (5A), for the words in paragraph (a) from the beginning to “does not include” there is substituted “a canvass form has been returned showing the elector as resident at that address but the form does not include”;

(h) in subsection (7), for the words after “in cases where” there is substituted “no canvass form has been returned in respect of the person in question”;

(i) in subsection (9), before the definition of “determines” there is inserted—

““canvass form” means the form mentioned in section 10(4) above;”.

(6) In section 13A (alteration of registers)—

(a) in subsection (2A), the words “in respect of an address in Northern Ireland” are omitted;

(b) in subsection (2A)(c), at the beginning of sub-paragraph (ii) there is inserted “in the case of an application for registration in respect of an address in Northern Ireland,”;

(c) in subsection (2B), for “The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland” there is substituted “A registration officer”;

(d) after that subsection there is inserted—

“(2C) In relation to each person without a national insurance number to whom an application for registration under subsection (1)(a) above relates, regulations may require the application to be accompanied by such other evidence to identify the person as may be prescribed.

(2D) A registration officer shall keep a record showing the information obtained under subsection (2A) above or by virtue of subsection (2C) above.”

(7) In section 13BB (election falling within canvass period) (inserted by section 23 above), in subsection (1)(a)—

(a) for “the form returned in respect of an address (“the relevant address”)” there is substituted “a form”;

(b) for “an application for registration is treated as having been made in respect of that address” there is substituted “an application for registration in respect of a particular address (“the relevant address”) is treated as having been made”.

(8) In section 13D (provision of false information), in subsection (2), for “the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland” there is substituted “a registration officer”.

(9) In section 201 (regulations), after subsection (2A) there is inserted—

“(2B) In the case of regulations under section 10(4C), 10A(1C) or 13A(2C), in carrying out the consultation required by section 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 the Secretary of State shall seek the views of the Electoral Commission as to whether the provision to be made by the regulations would help or hinder the achievement of the registration objectives (within the meaning given by section 10ZB).”

(10) In Schedule 2 (provisions which may be contained in regulations as to registration etc), in paragraph 1—

(a) after sub-paragraph (4) there is inserted—

“(4ZA) Provisions for the disclosure (otherwise than by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above) by the authority responsible for national insurance numbers (the “relevant authority”) to a registration officer or a CORE keeper, following a request by that person, of—

(a) the national insurance number recorded in respect of an individual specified or described in the request, or the fact that the individual is not recorded as having a national insurance number, and

(b) in the case of such an individual recorded as having a national insurance number, any further information about the individual that is recorded by the relevant authority,

for the purpose of checking the accuracy of any information that appears in a register or other record kept by a registration officer or checking a person’s entitlement to be registered in such a register.

(4ZB) Provisions authorising the relevant authority to charge fees to a person making a request of the kind mentioned in sub-paragraph (4ZA) to cover the authority’s reasonable expenses in complying with such requests.

(4ZC) Provisions for the disclosure by a CORE keeper to a registration officer, for the purpose mentioned in sub-paragraph (4ZA), of information within paragraph (a) or (b) of that sub-paragraph.”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (4A), for “such authority or person” there is substituted “authority or person within paragraph (a) or (b) of sub-paragraph (4)”, and for “such records” there is substituted “any records within sub-paragraph (4)”;

(c) in sub-paragraph (5), for “sub-paragraph (4) or (4A)” there is substituted “sub-paragraph (4), (4ZA) or (4A)”;

(d) for sub-paragraph (6) there is substituted—

“(6) But provision made under sub-paragraph (4ZA), (4ZC) or (4A) may not permit information obtained by a registration officer or CORE keeper under that provision to be disclosed by the officer or CORE keeper except—

(a) for the purpose mentioned in sub-paragraph (4ZA) or, as the case may be, sub-paragraph (4A), or

(b) for the purposes of any criminal or civil proceedings,

or, in the case of information obtained by a registration officer, to a person to whom the officer may delegate functions.”;

(e) after sub-paragraph (6) there is inserted—

“(6A) In sub-paragraphs (4ZA) and (4ZC) “CORE keeper” has the same meaning as in Part 1 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.”;

(f) sub-paragraph (8) is omitted.

(11) In paragraph 13 of that Schedule, for sub-paragraph (1ZA) there is substituted—

“(1ZA) Provisions making a person who discloses information in breach of paragraph 1(6) guilty of an offence punishable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both;

(b) on summary conviction in England and Wales and Scotland, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both;

(c) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both.”

34 Provision supplementing section 33

(1) Where on the commencement of section 33 a person is registered in a register maintained by a registration officer, the person’s name is not to be removed from the register by virtue of section 10A(5A) of the 1983 Act (canvass form not including required information, etc) until the conclusion of the third canvass to be concluded after the commencement of that section.

(2) An order bringing section 33 into force may—

(a) repeal any provision of sections 30, 31 and 32;

(b) make amendments to any enactment that are consequential on the coming into force of section 33.

(3) The Secretary of State may (either before, at the same time as or after section 33 is brought into force) by regulations—

(a) amend section 10(4A) or (4B), section 10A(1A) or (1B) or section 13A(2A) or (2B) of the 1983 Act;

(b) make any other amendments to the 1983 Act that appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or desirable in consequence of an amendment made by virtue of paragraph (a).

(4) Regulations under subsection (3)—

(a) may make different provision for different purposes or different areas;

(b) may make transitional or saving provision.

(5) The power to make regulations under subsection (3) is exercisable by statutory instrument.

(6) Before making regulations under subsection (3) the Secretary of State must—

(a) consult the Electoral Commission, and

(b) in the case of regulations containing provision amending section 10(4A) or (4B), section 10A(1A) or (1B) or section 13A(2A) or (2B) of the 1983 Act, seek the Commission’s views as to whether the provision would help or hinder the achievement of the registration objectives.

(7) An order containing provision made by virtue of paragraph (b) of subsection (2), or regulations under subsection (3), may not be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the order or regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

Data schemes

35 Schemes for provision of data to registration officers

(1) The Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument make provision (referred to below as a “scheme”) authorising or requiring specified persons to provide to a specified registration officer, for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2), information contained in records kept by those persons.

(2) The purpose is assisting the registration officer to meet the registration objectives and, in particular, assisting the officer—

(a) to ascertain to what extent those objectives are being met, and

(b) to determine what steps should be taken for meeting them.

(3) A scheme may authorise or require information to be provided at specified times or in specified circumstances.

(4) A scheme may not authorise or require information to be provided by a person other than—

(a) a local or public authority, or

(b) a person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, a local or public authority.

(5) An order under this section may include more than one scheme.

(6) An order under this section has effect despite any statutory or other restriction on the disclosure of information (but may not permit disclosure in breach of subsection (7)).

(7) Information provided to a registration officer under an order under this section may not be disclosed to a person other than one to whom the officer may delegate his or her functions, except—

(a) for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2), or

(b) for the purposes of any criminal or civil proceedings.

(8) A person who discloses information in breach of subsection (7) is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine, or to both;

(b) on summary conviction in England and Wales and Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(c) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both.

(9) An order under this section may contain incidental, supplemental, transitional or saving provision.

(10) An order under this section must not be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(11) In this section “specified” means specified in an order under this section.

36 Schemes under section 35: proposals, consultation and evaluation

(1) A scheme may be included in an order under section 35 only if a proposal has been submitted to the Secretary of State by the registration officer to whom the scheme relates and the scheme gives effect to the proposal, either—

(a) without modification, or

(b) with modifications suggested by the Secretary of State and agreed to by the officer.

(2) The Secretary of State may not make an order under section 35 without first consulting—

(a) the Electoral Commission;

(b) any person authorised or required by the order to provide information to a registration officer;

(c) the Information Commissioner.

(3) An order under section 35 must specify a date (the “evaluation date”) for each scheme included in the order.

The Electoral Commission must prepare a report on the operation of each scheme and, no later than the evaluation date, give a copy of it—

(a) to the registration officer concerned, and

(b) to the Secretary of State.

(4) A report under subsection (3) must set out the terms of the scheme and must contain—

(a) a description of the scheme;

(b) an assessment of the matters set out in subsection (5);

(c) anything else specified in the order under section 35.

(5) The matters are—

(a) the extent to which the scheme has achieved the purpose mentioned in section 35(2);

(b) whether there was any objection to the scheme, and if so how much;

(c) how easy the scheme was to administer;

(d) the extent to which the scheme resulted in savings of time and costs, or the opposite.

(6) The registration officer concerned—

(a) must give the Electoral Commission whatever assistance they reasonably require in connection with the preparation of the report;

(b) must publish the report in whatever way the officer thinks appropriate.

(7) In this section “scheme” has the same meaning as in section 35.

Interpretation

37 Meaning of expressions relating to registration

In this Part (except in section 33)—

• “false”, in relation to a signature, means that the signature is not the usual signature of, or was written by a person other than, the person whose signature it purports to be;

• “register”, in relation to a registration officer, means a register maintained by that officer under section 9 of the 1983 Act;

• “registered person” means a person registered in such a register;

• “registration objectives” has the meaning given by section 31(8);

• “registration officer” has the same meaning as in the 1983 Act (see section 8 of that Act) except that it does not include the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.