Contingencies Fund Advance: The Electoral Commission

As a general election will now be held on 12 December, the Electoral Commission will be required to undertake additional unplanned work to provide guidance to parties, non-party campaigners, candidates and electoral administrators; to observe and report on the election; to secure compliance with political finance law in relation to party and campaigner spending; to raise public awareness of the election and voter registration deadlines; and to ensure resilience of the commission’s functions through this important electoral event. Because unscheduled electoral events are not included in the plans approved by Speaker’s Committee for the main estimate, additional funding will be required.

Parliamentary approval for additional resources of £2,500,000 will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Electoral Commission. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £2,500,000 will be met by repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.

[HCWS70]