(1)    This Order may be cited as the Greater London Authority (Elections and Acceptance of Office) Order 2000 and shall come into force on 7th March 2000.

(2)    In this Order “the 1999 Act” means the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

As respects the first ordinary election of the Authority, Robert Valentine Hughes CBE of 10th Floor, Riverwalk House, 157–161 Millbank, London SW1P 4RR is hereby designated as the returning officer at the election of the Mayor and the election of the London members, instead of the person specified in section 35(2C) of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

As respects the first ordinary election of the Authority, section 29 of the 1999 Act shall have effect as if for the definition of “Greater London returning officer” there were substituted—

““Greater London returning officer” means the person designated as the returning officer at the election of the Mayor and the election of the London members by the Greater London Authority (Elections and Acceptance of Office) Order 2000;”

Subject to regulation 5(3), the declaration of acceptance of the office of—

(a)    Mayor;

(b)    Assembly member; and

(c)    acting Mayor by virtue of being Deputy Mayor,

shall be in the form in the Schedule to this Order or a form to the like effect.

(1)    In this article—

“declarations” means declarations of acceptance of the office of Mayor and of Assembly member, and

“the specified person” means the person for the time being appointed under section 407 of the 1999 Act as head of the Authority's paid service.

(2)    As respects the first ordinary election of the Authority—

(a)    declarations may be made before the specified person;

(b)    the specified person may take declarations;

(c)    declarations shall be delivered to the specified person instead of the proper officer of the Authority; and

(d)    declarations so delivered shall be transmitted by the specified person to the proper officer of the Authority when one has been appointed.

(3)    As respects the first ordinary election of the Authority, in the form of declaration of acceptance of office prescribed by article 4 for the words “Proper officer of the Greater London Authority” there shall be substituted “Authorised by the Greater London Authority (Elections and Acceptance of Office) Order 2000 to take this declaration”.

As respects the first ordinary election of the Authority, for the purposes of sections 81 and 82 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 the appropriate officer is—

(a)    in relation to the Mayor and to each London member, the person for the time being appointed under section 407 of the 1999 Act as head of the Authority's paid service, and

(b)    in relation to each constituency member, the returning officer specified in relation to the constituency in question by the Greater London Authority (Assembly Constituencies and Returning Officers) Order 1999.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Keith Hill

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

9th February 2000

I, ……………………………, [having been elected to the office of ………………………, declare that I take that office upon myself] ¹, and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of it to the best of my judgement and ability.

I undertake that, in the exercise of my functions in that office, I will have regard to any guidance with respect to ethical standards issued by the Secretary of State under section 66 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

Date …………………………………… (Signed) ……………………………………………….

This declaration was made and signed before me

(Signed) ………………………………………..

Proper officer of the Greater London Authority ²

¹ Insert “Mayor of London” or “member of the London assembly” as appropriate. Where the declaration is made by the Deputy Mayor by virtue of Schedule 4, substitute for the words in brackets the words “being for the time being Deputy Mayor of London, declare that I take upon myself the office of acting Mayor of London”.

² Where the declaration is made before another person authorised by section 28(3), state the capacity in which that person takes the declaration.

This Order makes provision in relation to elections for the Greater London Authority.

Article 2 designates the person who is to be the returning officer at the first ordinary election of the Mayor and the London members of the Assembly, and article 3 makes a consequential modification to the definition of “Greater London returning officer” in section 29 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

Article 4 prescribes the form of declaration of acceptance of office to be made by the Mayor or acting Mayor, and by members of the Assembly, and article 5 makes provision as to the making and delivery of such declarations in relation to the first ordinary election. Article 6 designates, for the purposes of the first ordinary election, the officer who is to receive returns and declarations as to election expenses.