Assembly election's finance flaws

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Financial flaws and inconsistencies in the way last year's Welsh assembly election was run, have been identified by the Electoral Commission.

Its report shows not all of the £4.5m spent on the election, £2 for each elector, was properly accounted for.

And it found "only limited evidence" fees for election staff were for duties not covered by their council salaries.

The assembly government has agreed that changes are needed but they will not be made until after May's local elections.

The document was produced by the Electoral Commission with help from the Wales Audit Office, following concerns raised previously about the running of elections.

In 2006 two staff members in Bridgend were dismissed after a council inquiry found £50,000 was improperly claimed in expenses and "numerous examples" of poor practice in the running of elections.

Reviewing the 2007 assembly election, the Electoral Commission report found that some returning officers had "claimed the maximum amounts for clerical assistance and training without providing documentary evidence that the costs had been properly incurred".

Returning officers are formally in charge of local electoral arrangements and are usually also the chief executive of the area's local authority.

We must ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear, understandable and fit for the 21st century Dr Brian Gibbons, Local Government Minister

The report observes that most returning officers received the entire fee for their services, despite "informally nominating deputies", while others split the sum with "properly appointed deputies".

A wide variation in the cost of running elections in different parts of Wales, particularly when comparing the five electoral regions, is also noted.

The regional costs ranged from just over £12,500 to more than £150,000.

The different demands of running elections in rural and urban areas may at least partly explain this.

The head of the Electoral Commission's office in Wales, Kay Jenkins, stressed that "for the most part, controls exercised by returning officers are effective".

"Local authority staff work very hard, of course, to deliver effective elections," she said.

"We'd be keen to ensure that the legal framework for supporting elections is strengthened, because there were significant variations in costs claimed by local authorities across Wales," Ms Jenkins added.

In a statement, Local Government Minister Dr Brian Gibbons said some aspects of electoral finance were "due for a thorough review".

"I am eager to work with our partners to ensure that the administrative funding system is fit for purpose, providing sufficient and appropriate rewards to those who participate," he said.

'Respect and confidence'

However Dr Gibbons said his first priority was ensuring that local elections were run "in an open and democratic way" and promised to then respond in more detail to the findings.

"For the system to command the respect and confidence of the citizen we must ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear, understandable and fit for the 21st century.

"I intend to work closely with the Elections Planning Group, the Electoral Commission and engage fully with the UK Government on this matter," Dr Gibbons added.