Commentary on Sections Section 3: Payments relating to May Elections.
13.Section 3 makes provision for the Secretary of State to make payments to registered parties and candidates in accordance with a scheme in respect of expenditure which they incurred preparing for the election which was to have taken place on 29 May 2003.
14.Subsection (1) confers a power on the Secretary of State to make payments in line with a scheme made under this section.
15.Subsection (2) requires that the scheme must cover payments which are to be made to registered parties in connection with their campaign expenditure and to candidates in connection with their election expenses. Campaign expenditure and election expenses will be defined in the scheme.
16.Subsection (3) stipulates that the scheme must include provision for the matters listed in the subsection.
17.Subsection (4) enables the scheme to provide that campaign expenditure which was incurred for the election scheduled to take place on 1 May 2003 is to count for the purpose of payments under the scheme.
18.Subsections (5) to (7) require the Electoral Commission to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on the terms of the scheme, and require the Secretary of State to make and publish the scheme, after giving effect to the recommendations or making appropriate modifications.