Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

Part IU.K. Introductory

InterpretationU.K.

1(1)In this Schedule—U.K.

(a)“an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament” means an election held under section 2 of the M1Scotland Act 1998;

(b)“an extraordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament” means an election held under section 3 of the M2Scotland Act 1998;

[F1(c)“an ordinary general election to the National Assembly for Wales” means an election held under section 3 of the Government of Wales Act 2006;

(ca)“an extraordinary general election to the National Assembly for Wales” means an election held under section 5 of the Government of Wales Act 2006;]

(d)“an ordinary general election to the Northern Ireland Assembly” means an election held under section 31 of the M3Northern Ireland Act 1998; and

(e)“an extraordinary general election to the Northern Ireland Assembly” means an election held under section 32 of the M4Northern Ireland Act 1998.

(2)For the purposes of this Schedule a registered party—

(a)contests a constituency if any candidate stands for election for that constituency in the name of the party; and

(b)contests any region if the party is included in the statement of parties and candidates nominated for that region.

(3)For the purposes of this Schedule a parliamentary general election is pending during the period—

(a)beginning with the date on which [F2Parliament is dissolved F3... for a] parliamentary general election, and

(b)ending with the date of the poll for that election.

Attribution of expenditure to different parts of the United KingdomU.K.

2(1)For the purposes of this Schedule—U.K.

(a)campaign expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a party registered in the Great Britain register shall (subject to the following provisions of this paragraph) be attributed to each of England, Scotland and Wales in proportion to the number of parliamentary constituencies for the time being situated in that part of Great Britain; and

(b)campaign expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a party registered in the Northern Ireland register shall be attributed solely to Northern Ireland.

(2)Campaign expenditure whose effects are wholly or substantially confined to any particular parts or part of Great Britain—

(a)shall be attributed to those parts in proportion to the number of parliamentary constituencies for the time being situated in those parts, or

(b)shall be attributed solely to that part,

as the case may be.

(3)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) the effects of campaign expenditure are wholly or substantially confined to any particular parts or part of Great Britain if they have no significant effects in any other part or parts (so that, for example, expenditure on an advertisement in a newspaper circulating in Wales is to be attributed solely to Wales if the newspaper does not circulate to any significant extent in any other part of Great Britain).

F4(3A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)References in this Schedule to campaign expenditure “in” a particular part of the United Kingdom are accordingly to campaign expenditure which is to be attributed to that part in accordance with this paragraph.