The Greater London Authority (Referendum Arrangements) Order 1998

11.—(1) The returning officer shall, instead of the arrangements in rule 38(1) of the election rules, make arrangements for discharging the functions under paragraph 12 below in the presence of the counting agents and the counting observers as soon as practicable after the close of the poll and for counting the votes at that election in the presence of the counting agents; and he shall give those agents and observers notice in writing of the time and place at which he will begin to discharge those functions.

(2) No-one other than a person mentioned in article 10(3) or rule 38(2) of the election rules or a person permitted to attend by the returning officer may be present at the proceedings under paragraph 12 below; and the returning officer shall not permit a person to attend those proceedings unless he is satisfied that the efficient separating of the ballot papers will not be impeded and he has either consulted the election agents or thought it impracticable to do so.