
2025 No. 394
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
The Scottish Parliament Elections (Returning Officer Fees and Charges) Regulations 2025
Made 10th December 2025
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 12th December 2025
Coming into force 7th April 2026
The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the power conferred by article 18(2) of the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015 and all other powers enabling them to do so.
Part 1 Introduction and General
Citation and commencement
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Scottish Parliament Elections (Returning Officer Fees and Charges) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 7 April 2026.
Interpretation
2 
In these Regulations—
 “the 2015 Order” means the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015,
 “account” means the account submitted to the Scottish Ministers under article 18(5) of the 2015 Order for the purposes of payment of a returning officer’s charges,
 “constituency” means a constituency provided for by paragraph 1(2) of schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 1998,
 “constituency returning officer” means the officer who, in accordance with article 14 of the 2015 Order, is the constituency returning officer for a Scottish parliamentary election in a constituency,
 “local authority” means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994,
 “regional returning officer” means a regional returning officer for the purposes of the Scotland Act 1998, and
 “Scottish parliamentary election” means an election for membership of the Scottish Parliament.
Part 2 Constituency Returning Officers
Maximum total recoverable amount
3 

(1) For the purposes of article 18(2)(a) of the 2015 Order, a constituency returning officer may not recover an amount which exceeds the total amount specified in paragraph (2).
(2) In relation to a constituency returning officer appointed by a local authority listed in column 1 (local authority) of the table in the schedule (maximum recoverable amounts), the total amount is—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, the amount listed opposite that local authority in column 4 (maximum total recoverable amount) of the table,
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £3,500.
Maximum recoverable amount for specific services
4 

(1) For the purposes of article 18(2)(c) of the 2015 Order, the maximum amount that a constituency returning officer may recover for the services specified in paragraph (3) is the amount specified in paragraph (2).
(2) In relation to a constituency returning officer appointed by a local authority listed in column 1 (local authority) of the table in the schedule (maximum recoverable amounts), the maximum amount is—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, the amount listed opposite that local authority in column 2 (maximum recoverable amount for specified services) of table, or
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £1,000.
(3) The specified services are—
(a) conducting the election,
(b) discharging the constituency returning officer’s duties at the election,
(c) making arrangements for the election.
Maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses
5 

(1) For the purposes of article 18(2)(c) of the 2015 Order, the maximum amount that a constituency returning officer may recover for the expenses specified in paragraph (3) is the amount specified in paragraph (2).
(2) In relation to a constituency returning officer appointed by a local authority listed in column 1 (local authority) of the table in the schedule (maximum recoverable amounts), the maximum amount is—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, the amount listed opposite that local authority in column 3 (maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses) of the table, or
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £2,500.
(3) The specified expenses are—
(a) the appointment and payment of persons to assist the constituency returning officer,
(b) travel and overnight subsistence for the constituency returning officer and any person appointed to assist the constituency returning officer,
(c) the cost of the nomination process,
(d) printing, or otherwise producing, the ballot papers,
(e) printing, otherwise producing, or purchasing postal vote stationery,
(f) printing, or otherwise producing, and arranging for the delivery of, poll cards,
(g) printing or otherwise producing, and where appropriate, publishing notices and any other documents required by any enactment for or in connection with the election,
(h) renting, heating, lighting, cleaning, adapting, or restoring any building or room,
(i) providing and transporting equipment,
(j) providing information and communications technology equipment and software and associated costs,
(k) providing security, including any necessary secure storage of ballot boxes, ballot papers and verification documents,
(l) conducting the verification and the count,
(m) providing and receiving training,
(n) providing stationery and meeting postage, telephone, printing, translation and banking costs and the costs of other miscellaneous items for or in connection with the election.
Part 3 Regional Returning Officers
Maximum total recoverable amount
6 
For the purposes of article 18(2)(a) of the 2015 Order, a regional returning officer may not recover an amount which exceeds—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, £7,500,
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £625.
Maximum recoverable amount for specified services
7 

(1) For the purposes of article 18(2)(c) of the 2015 Order, the maximum amount that a regional returning officer may recover for the services specified in paragraph (2) is—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, £1,050,
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £255.
(2) The specified services are—
(a) discharging the regional returning officer’s duties at a Scottish parliamentary election,
(b) making arrangements for a Scottish parliamentary election.
Maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses
8 

(1) For the purposes of article 18(2)(c) of the 2015 Order, the maximum amount that a regional returning officer may recover for the expenses specified in paragraph (2) is—
(a) where the poll at a Scottish parliamentary election is contested, £6,450,
(b) where a Scottish parliamentary election is uncontested, £370.
(2) The specified expenses are—
(a) the appointment and payment of persons to assist the regional returning officer,
(b) travel and overnight subsistence for the regional returning officer and any person appointed to assist the regional returning officer,
(c) printing or otherwise producing and, where appropriate, publishing notices and any other documents required by any enactment for or in connection with the election,
(d) renting, heating, lighting, cleaning, adapting or restoring any building or room,
(e) providing and transporting equipment,
(f) providing training,
(g) providing stationery and meeting postage, telephone, printing, translation and banking costs and the costs of other miscellaneous items for or in connection with the election, including those incurred in collating the results of the election.
Part 4 Submission of Accounts
Accounts
9 

(1) An account must be submitted in a form acceptable to the Scottish Ministers and, unless otherwise agreed with the Scottish Ministers, must be fully submitted within 6 months of—
(a) in the case of a constituency returning officer, the day of the declaration of the result of the Scottish parliamentary election to which the charges in the account relate,
(b) in the case of a regional returning officer, the day on which the regional members’ seats are allocated for the Scottish parliamentary election to which the charges in the account relate.
(2) If requested by the Scottish Ministers, a constituency returning officer or regional returning officer must provide them with full financial records and receipts relating to any charge contained in an account.
Part 5 Revocations
Revocations
10 
The following regulations are revoked—
(a) the Scottish Parliament Elections (Returning Officer Fees and Charges) Regulations 2021,
(b) the Scottish Parliament Elections (Returning Officer Fees and Charges) Amendment Regulations 2021.
GRAEME DEY
Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
10th December 2025
Schedule
Maximum recoverable amounts
Regulation 3


Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
Local Authority Maximum recoverable amount for specified services Maximum recoverable amount for specified expenses Maximum total recoverable amount
Aberdeen City Council £7,250 £892,583 £899,833
Aberdeenshire Council £7,250 £912,367 £919,617
Angus Council £6,500 £480,455 £486,955
Argyll and Bute Council £5,000 £367,298 £372,298
City of Edinburgh Council £8,250 £1,895,093 £1,903,343
Clackmannanshire Council £5,000 £247,619 £252,619
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar £5,000 £133,227 £138,227
Dumfries and Galloway Council £6,500 £564,302 £570,802
Dundee City Council £6,500 £399,306 £405,806
East Ayrshire Council £6,500 £553,952 £560,452
East Dunbartonshire Council £5,000 £225,801 £230,801
East Lothian Council £6,500 £566,518 £573,018
East Renfrewshire Council £5,000 £262,058 £267,058
Falkirk Council £6,500 £512,116 £518,616
Fife Council £8,000 £1,442,859 £1,450,859
Glasgow City Council £8,500 £1,587,803 £1,596,303
Highland Council £7,250 £896,589 £903,839
Inverclyde Council £5,000 £238,589 £243,589
Midlothian Council £5,000 £277,021 £282,021
Moray Council £5,000 £281,644 £286,644
North Ayrshire Council £6,500 £512,070 £518,570
North Lanarkshire Council £8,000 £1,519,202 £1,527,202
Orkney Islands Council £5,000 £74,433 £79,433
Perth and Kinross Council £6,500 £499,076 £505,576
Renfrewshire Council £7,250 £851,222 £858,472
Scottish Borders Council £6,500 £568,897 £575,397
Shetland Islands Council £5,000 £86,474 £91,474
South Ayrshire Council £5,000 £325,468 £330,468
South Lanarkshire Council £7,750 £1,089,858 £1,097,608
Stirling Council £5,000 £266,460 £271,460
West Dunbartonshire Council £6,500 £461,131 £467,631
West Lothian Council £6,500 £588,426 £594,926