Commentary on Sections Section 94: Electoral Commission: changes to facilitate efficient administration
430.This section amends the governance arrangements for the Electoral Commission in Schedule 1 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. That Act established a Speaker’s Committee with statutory functions which include overseeing the procedure for the selection of Electoral Commissioners and examining the estimates and five-year plans of the Electoral Commission.
431.Currently, there is a requirement for the Electoral Commission to produce a five-year plan annually and for the Comptroller and Auditor General (the National Audit Office) to carry out an annual audit of the Commission’s activities, which is reported to the Speaker’s Committee.
432.Subsections (3) and (4) amend this requirement so that the Electoral Commission is to produce a five-year plan in respect of the first year of a new Parliament and subsequently as required by the Speaker’s Committee.
433.Subsection (5) requires the National Audit Office to carry out an audit and to provide a report to accompany any five-year plan, rather than annually.
434.The amendments form part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. (Schedule 1 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 extends to Gibraltar – see section 163(11) of that Act).
435.The section comes into force on a day to be appointed by the Secretary of State in a commencement order.