Explanatory note

This Order extends to the whole of the United Kingdon, except articles 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12, and Schedule 2, which do not extend to Northern Ireland. This Order provides for payments for services and expenses of counting officers and Regional Counting Officers in connection with the conduct of the referendum on the voting system to be held on 5 May 2011 under Part 1 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011. Under paragraph 20(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act, a counting officer or Regional Counting Officer may recover his charges for services and expenses provided they were necessarily rendered or incurred for the efficient and effective conduct of the referendum and the total does not exceed the overall maximum recoverable amount specified by the Secretary of State in an order. Paragraph 20(4) also enables the Secretary of State to specify by order a maximum recoverable amount for particular services or expenses.

Article 3 of this Order specifies that the overall maximum recoverable amount for each voting area is listed in column 4 of the table in Schedule 1, and article 4 specifies that the overall maximum recoverable amount for each region is listed in column 4 of the table in Schedule 2.

Article 5 of this Order specifies that the total of the charges recoverable by a counting officer in respect of the services of the description specified in article 7 shall not exceed the amount listed for each voting area in column 2 of the table in Schedule 1. This total is “the maximum recoverable amount for the specified services”. Similarly, article 6 provides that the total of the charges recoverable by a Regional Counting Officer in respect of the services of the description specified in article 8 shall not exceed the amount listed for each region in column 2 of the table in Schedule 2.

Article 9 provides that the total of the charges recoverable by a counting officer in respect of the expenses of the description specified in article 11 are listed for each voting area in column 3 of the table in Schedule 1. This is the “the maximum recoverable amount for the specified expenses”. Article 10 provides that the total of the charges recoverable by a Regional Counting Officer in respect of the expenses of the description specified in article 12 are listed for each region in column 3 of the table in Schedule 1. This is the “the maximum recoverable amount for the specified expenses”.