The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums (Date of Referendums, Referendum Question and Explanatory Material) (North East Region) Order 2004

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums (Date of Referendums, Referendum Question and Explanatory Material) (North East Region) Order 2004 and shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“the Preparations Act” means the Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003; and

“County Durham” means the county area of County Durham; and

“Northumberland” means the county area of Northumberland.

Regional Assembly referendum

3.  On 4th November 2004 a referendum shall be held in the North East region about the establishment of an elected assembly for that region.

Local government referendums

4.  On 4th November 2004 a referendum shall be held in each of the following county areas about the government’s proposals for the structure of local government in those areas—

(a) County Durham; and

(b) Northumberland.

Referendum period

5.  The referendum period for a referendum held under article 3 or 4—

(a) begins on the date on which this Order comes into force; and

(b) ends with the date of the referendum.

Alteration of time for application and designation of designated organisations

6.—(1) For the purposes of section 109 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000(1), the period of 28 days referred to in subsections (2) and (3) of that section shall have effect in relation to a referendum held under article 3, as if it were a period of 42 days.

(2) For the purposes of section 9 of the Preparations Act, the appropriate day in relation to a referendum held under any of article 3 is—

(a) the fifty-seventh day of the referendum period if one or more applications under section 109 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (applications for assistance under section 110 of that Act) is made before the forty-third day of the referendum period in relation to each possible outcome of the referendum;

(b) the forty-third day of the referendum period in any other case.

Text of options–County Durham

7.  In relation to County Durham, the text of the options to be inserted in the referendum question specified in section 3(3) of the Preparations Act, is—

• “Option A–one single tier local authority (see map for option A).

• Option B–three single tier local authorities (see map for option B.)”.

Text of options–Northumberland

8.  In relation to Northumberland, the text of the options to be inserted in the referendum question specified in section 3(3) of the Preparations Act, is—

• “Option A–one single tier local authority (see map for option A).

• Option B–two single tier local authorities (see map for option B).”.

Explanatory material

9.—(1) The explanatory material set out in Schedule 1, which relates to the options in article 7, will be made available for voters at the time they vote in the referendum in County Durham.

(2) The explanatory material set out in Schedule 2, which relates to the options in article 8, will be made available for voters at the time they vote in the referendum in Northumberland.

Signed by authority of the First Secretary of State

Nick Raynsford

Minister of State,

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

23rd July 2004