Statutory Instruments
2023 No. 807
ELECTORAL COMMISSION
The Electoral Commission (Limit on Public Awareness Expenditure) Order 2023
Made
14th July 2023
Laid before Parliament
18th July 2023
Coming into force
8th August 2023
The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 13(6) and 156(5) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000( 1 ) with the consent of the Treasury.
Citation, commencement, interpretation, extent and application
1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Electoral Commission (Limit on Public Awareness Expenditure) Order 2023.
(2) This Order comes into force on 8th August 2023.
(3) This Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
(4) Article 2 does not apply to expenditure incurred by the Electoral Commission—
(a) in performing their devolved Scottish functions; or
(b) to the extent that it is, or is to be, met under paragraph 16A of Schedule 1 to the Act or paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 to the Government of Wales Act 2006.
(5) In this Order—
“ the Act ” means the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 ;
“ devolved Scottish functions ” has the meaning given by section 4A(8)(a) of the Act( 2 ).
Maximum sum to be incurred on public awareness
2. The sum specified for the purposes of section 13(6) of the Act (maximum sum which the Electoral Commission may incur in any financial year in performing their functions under section 13(1) of the Act)( 3 )—
(a) in the financial year ending with 31st March 2024, is £17,000,000;
(b) in the financial year ending with 31st March 2025, is £17,000,000; and
(c) in any subsequent financial year, is £12,000,000.
Revocation and savings
3. The Electoral Commission (Limit on Public Awareness Expenditure) Order 2014( 4 ) is revoked, save to the extent it applies to expenditure incurred by the Electoral Commission in performing their devolved Scottish functions.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Scott of Bybrook
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
14th July 2023
We consent
Stuart Anderson
Steve Double
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury
10th July 2023
2000 c. 41 . Section 13 was amended by paragraph 61 of Schedule 10 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) , section 8 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 (c. 12) , section 15(3) of the Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 10) , and section 28(7) of and paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (anaw 1), and S.I. 2018/644 . Section 156(5) was amended by section 7(13) of the Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11) . There are other amendments that are not relevant to this Order.
Section 4A was inserted by section 16 of the Elections Act 2022 (c. 37) .
Section 13(1) was amended by section 8 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 (c. 12) and by S.I. 2004/366 .