Clause 22 - Payments to Electoral Commission
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
6:15 pm
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
I cannot recall exactly what I said, but the amount will be that which the Secretary of States decides is required, not that which is requested. Certainly, that will be the Secretary of State's decision. The provision is similar to that made in the Greater London Authority (Referendum) Act 1998. The estimate that the Electoral Commission has so far made of the cost of this exercise is set out in paragraph 71 of the explanatory notes. It is in the order of between £100,000 and £200,000 per region.
The Electoral Commission's advice is to be paid for from money provided by Parliament via the Secretary of State. Subsection (2) simply ensures that the commission's expenditure will not also have to be provided for under the mechanism in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.