(1)    This Order may be cited as the European Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer's Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(2)    This Order extends to Northern Ireland only.

In this Order—

“election” means a European Parliamentary election;

“register of electors” has the meaning given in regulation 2 of the 2004 Regulations; and

“the 2004 Regulations” means the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004.

The European Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer's Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 is hereby revoked.

(1)    For the purposes of regulation 16(1)(a) of the 2004 Regulations (which provides that a returning officer is entitled to recover his charges in respect of expenses properly incurred in connection with a European Parliamentary election if the expenses are of a kind specified in an order made under that provision and the charges are reasonable)—

(a)    expenses of the kind described in paragraphs 1(1), 2(1), 3(1), 4(1), 5(1) and 6 of Part A of the Schedule to this Order; and

(b)    expenses of a kind described in Part B of the Schedule to this Order,

are hereby specified.

(2)    The maximum recoverable amounts at a contested election in respect of the expenses specified in Part A of the Schedule are hereby specified as the amounts set out in the right-hand side column of that Part in respect of each entry set out opposite thereto in the left-hand column of that Part.

(3)    The maximum recoverable amount in respect of the expenses specified in Part A of the Schedule at an uncontested election is hereby specified as £1314.33.

Paul Murphy

One of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State

Northern Ireland Office

12th May 2004

We consent to this Order

Joan Ryan

Nick Ainger

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury

Date 17th May 2004

Under section 6(4) of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 (c 24) the returning officer for Northern Ireland is the Chief Electoral Officer. This Order, which extends only to Northern Ireland, provides for the payment of the returning officer at European Parliamentary elections. Under regulation 4 of the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1267) (“2004 Regulations”), the Chief Electoral Officer may appoint deputies and clerks to discharge, or assist him in, his functions in relation to an election.

Under regulation 16(1) of the 2004 Regulations the returning officer at a European Parliamentary election is entitled to recover his charges in respect of his expenses properly incurred in connection with such an election if the expenses are of a kind specified in any order under that provision and the charges in respect of them are reasonable.

Part A and B of the Schedule to this Order specify the kinds of expenses incurred by the returning officer for or in connection with a European Parliamentary election in respect of which he is entitled to recover his charges, together (in the case of Part A) with the maximum recoverable amounts in respect of those charges.

This Order increases the maximum recoverable amounts from those which were specified in the European Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer's Charges) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (SI 1999/1342), which is revoked by this Order.