PART 3The election campaign

Constituency and individual candidates: inspection of returns and declarations62

1

Where the appropriate returning officer receives any return or declaration under article 46, 52, 53 or 54 he shall—

a

as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the return or declaration make a copy of it, and any accompanying documents, available for public inspection at his office, or some other convenient place chosen by him, for a period of two years beginning with the date when the return is received by him; and

b

if requested to do so by any person, and on payment of the fee specified in paragraph (4), supply that person with a copy of the return or declaration and any accompanying documents.

2

If any such return contains a statement of donations in accordance with paragraph 10 of Schedule 6, the appropriate officer shall secure that the copy of the statement made available for public inspection under sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (as the case may be) supplied under sub-paragraph (1)(b) does not include, in the case of any donation by an individual, the donor’s address.

3

The fee for inspecting a copy of a return or declaration (including any accompanying documents) referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) shall be £1.50.

4

The fee payable for a copy of any such return, declaration or document referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) shall be at the rate of 15p for each side of each page.

5

After the expiry of those two years the appropriate returning officer—

a

may cause those returns and declarations (including the accompanying documents) to be destroyed; or

b

if the candidate or where appropriate, his election agent so requires, shall return them to the candidate.

6

Any returns or declarations delivered under article 46 shall be returned not to a candidate (if he or his election agent so requires) but to the person delivering them if he so requires.

7

The Assembly may by order vary the amount of any fee payable under paragraph (3) or (4)37.

8

The power to make orders under paragraph (7) shall be exercisable by statutory instrument and for the purpose of section 1 of the Statutory Instruments Act 194638 this provision shall have effect as if contained in an Act of Parliament.