Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 1986 which provide for the conduct of European Parliamentary elections in Great Britain.

The amendments made by regulation 2 of these Regulations apply for the purposes of those elections the amendments made by section 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1991 and article 3 of the Transfer of Functions (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 1991 to section 29 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which provides for a returning officer’s charges at a parliamentary election. The 1991 Act made technical changes to the provisions about the recovery of such charges and the 1991 Order transferred the functions of the Treasury in connection with such charges to the Secretary of State. In addition, the amendment made by regulation 2(1) of these Regulations also applies provisions which were formerly applied by the provisions omitted by regulation 4(1) of these Regulations.

The amendments made by regulation 3 of these Regulations apply for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections the amendments made by the Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 1992 and the Representation of the People (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1992 to regulation 64 of the Representation of the People Regulations 1986 and regulation 62 of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 1986 (requirements for applications for an absent vote for an indefinite period on grounds of blindness and other physical incapacity), respectively. The amendments made by those Regulations of 1992 take account of changes made by the Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Act 1991 (c. 21). In addition, the amendment made by regulation 3 of these Regulations also applies provisions which were formerly applied by the provisions omitted by regulation 4(2) of these Regulations.