Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) Rules 1987
Encyclopedia
The Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) Rules 1987 (the 1987 Rules) is a British Statutory Instrument
(SI) which lays down the rules on poll
s held as a consequence of parish and community meetings (consequent polls). It was made under powers granted by the Local Government Act 1972
and the Representation of the People Act 1983
and came into force on 16 February 1987. The rules revoked earlier SIs on the subject with the saving that consequent polls demanded before the rules came into were not covered by them. The rules extend to England
and Wales
.
Rule 4(1) stipulates that a the chairman of any meeting where a consequent poll needs to be taken must inform the local district council
of the fact that the consequent poll must be taken. That district council is then required to appoint an officer of the council to be returning officer
for the consequent poll. Rule 5 stipulates that the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 are to be applied to consequent polls with a series of adaptations, alterations and exceptions to those rules so that the consequent poll is conducted in accordance with rules set out in the schedule to the 1987 Rules. Rule 6 then sets out how the Representation of the People Act 1983 is to apply to consequential polls again with a series of adaptations, alterations and exceptions.
Later in 1987 ambiguities were found in the 1987 Rules and the Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) (Amendment) Rules 1987 were made to correct those ambiguities. The Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) (Amendment) Rules 1987 made a series of amendments to the rules in the schedule to the 1987 Rules and also altered the appendix of forms of the schedule. Since then the only amendments were made by the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005 which replaced references to husbands and wives in various parts of the 1987 Rules with references to spouses and civil partners.
Statutory Instrument
A Statutory Instrument is the principal form in which delegated or secondary legislation is made in Great Britain.Statutory Instruments are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946. They replaced Statutory Rules and Orders, made under the Rules Publication Act 1893, in 1948.Most delegated...
(SI) which lays down the rules on poll
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s held as a consequence of parish and community meetings (consequent polls). It was made under powers granted by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
and the Representation of the People Act 1983
Representation of the People Act 1983
The Representation of the People Act 1983 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It changed the British electoral process in the following ways:* Amended the Representation of the People Act 1969....
and came into force on 16 February 1987. The rules revoked earlier SIs on the subject with the saving that consequent polls demanded before the rules came into were not covered by them. The rules extend to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Rule 4(1) stipulates that a the chairman of any meeting where a consequent poll needs to be taken must inform the local district council
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
of the fact that the consequent poll must be taken. That district council is then required to appoint an officer of the council to be returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
for the consequent poll. Rule 5 stipulates that the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 are to be applied to consequent polls with a series of adaptations, alterations and exceptions to those rules so that the consequent poll is conducted in accordance with rules set out in the schedule to the 1987 Rules. Rule 6 then sets out how the Representation of the People Act 1983 is to apply to consequential polls again with a series of adaptations, alterations and exceptions.
Later in 1987 ambiguities were found in the 1987 Rules and the Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) (Amendment) Rules 1987 were made to correct those ambiguities. The Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) (Amendment) Rules 1987 made a series of amendments to the rules in the schedule to the 1987 Rules and also altered the appendix of forms of the schedule. Since then the only amendments were made by the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005 which replaced references to husbands and wives in various parts of the 1987 Rules with references to spouses and civil partners.