Alternative Vote

Electoral Commission Committee written question – answered at on 20 June 2012.

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Photo of Simon Hart Simon Hart Conservative, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire

To ask the honourable Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the costs were of the national referendum on the alternative vote, broken down by category of spend.

Photo of Gary Streeter Gary Streeter Conservative, South West Devon

The final cost of the UK referendum on the parliamentary voting system will be published in a report by the Electoral Commission in the autumn, once all the claims from counting officers and regional counting officers have been agreed and processed.

As of 7 June 2012, 376 of the 451 claims received from counting officers and regional counting officers for their services and expenses in respect of the referendum had been settled.

On the basis of the information received so far the total cost is expected to be £75,055,000. This can be broken down into the following categories, but does not include any costs incurred directly by local authorities or other organisations:

Category Costs (£)
Settled fee and expense payments to counting officers 50,130,000
Outstanding fee and expense payments to counting officers 8,214,000
Campaign mailings by the designated campaigns 8,530,000
Electoral Commission activities 7,912,000
Royal Mail sweep for postal votes on election day 269,000
Total 75,055,000

The cost of the Commission's own activities was £7,912,000. This includes the cost of fulfilling its statutory responsibilities and making grants of public money to the designated organisations appointed as lead campaigners for each of the referendum outcomes.

The Commission's autumn report will also analyse the overall costs of the referendum, including the costs charged by counting officers and regional counting officers, and review in detail the current fees and charges framework. Referendum spend will also be reported as part of the Commission annual accounts for 2011-12 which are currently being prepared.

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