The European Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers) Order 2008

Returning Officers in England

3.  The designated returning officer at a European Parliamentary election for the electoral region in England (including the combined region(1)) specified in the left-hand column of the Schedule to this Order shall be the person who is the acting returning officer(2) at a parliamentary election for the constituency specified in the right-hand column of the Schedule.

(1)

By virtue of the European Parliamentary Elections (Combined Region and Campaign Expenditure) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/366), the South West electoral region was combined with Gibraltar to form the “combined region”.

(2)

“Acting returning officer” is defined in section 28(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2). Section 28(1)(a) provides that in a constituency in England for which the chairman of a district council or the mayor or the chairman of a London borough is the returning officer at a parliamentary election by virtue of section 24(1) of that Act, the electoral registration officer appointed by that council is the acting returning officer. Section 28(1)(aa) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c.2) provides that in a constituency in Wales for which the chairman of a county or county borough council is the returning officer by virtue of section 24(1) of that Act, the electoral registration officer appointed by that council is the acting returning officer. Section 28(1)(b) provides that in the case of any other constituency the acting returning officer is such electoral registration officer as may be designated in an order made by the Secretary of State.