§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the process is for reimbursing local authorities for the extra costs of conducting all-postal pilots in the June 2004 elections. [176249]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe process is set out in Schedule 3 of the European Parliamentary and Local Elections (All Postal) Pilots Order. Regional and local returning officers will be able to claim reimbursement for services properly rendered, or expenses properly incurred, for or in connection with the European election by submitting an account to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister within six months of the el action. Insofar as the local elections in principal areas or parishes within the pilot regions are concerned, returning officers will be able to claim "local election pilot expenditure" from my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. That will include any expenditure which is apportioned to the local election under section 15(4) of the 1985 Act, which exceeds the expenditure which he would have incurred if the electoral region within which the election (and any election the poll at which is combined with that election) is held had not been specified in section 1(3) of the 2004 Act i.e. had not been one of the pilot regions.
Returning officers may claim advance payments prior to the election. In these cases, the balance is settled after the election when the final costs are submitted.