Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 13 July 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 July 2011. It was answered by Lord Harper (Conservative) on Tuesday, 19 July 2011 on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Alternative Vote: Referendums

Question: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the value for money of the referendum on the alternative vote.

Answer: The referendum on the voting system was important in enabling people to have their say on whether a new voting system should be adopted. The Government took steps to reduce costs where possible, for example, by combining the referendum with the devolved and local Government elections, which saved an estimated £30 million across all the polls held on 5 May.The Electoral Commission is responsible for accounting for the funds which were allocated for the referendum, and has assured us that value for money will be taken into account when assessing individual claims. We will make an overall assessment on the cost of the referendum, and whether there are further opportunities for providing value for money in such polls once all claims from regional counting officers and counting officers for the conduct of the poll have been submitted to the Electoral Commission and settled.

Secondary information