The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2005

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order, which applies in Great Britain, revokes and replaces the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2001 (“the 2001 Order”).

Under section 29(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, the entitlement of a returning officer at a parliamentary election to recover his charges in respect of his services or expenses for or in connection with such an election depends upon —

(a) the services or expenses being of a kind specified in an order under that provision,

(b) the services being properly rendered and the expenses being properly incurred, and

(c) the charges in respect of them being reasonable.

Part A of the Schedule to this Order specifies the kinds of services for which a returning officer is entitled to recover his charges, together with maximum recoverable amounts in respect of those services where the election is contested.

Parts B and C of the Schedule specify the kinds of expenses for which a returning officer is entitled to recover his charges, together (in the case of Part B) with the maximum recoverable amounts in respect of those charges where the election is contested.

Parts A and B of the Schedule to this Order increase the maximum recoverable amounts from those that were specified in the equivalent provision in the 2001 Order, but with some division of the categories previously specified in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part B.

The Order also makes provision for additional payments where the poll at a parliamentary election is taken together with the poll at some other election.