Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what information the Electoral Commission holds on the average cost to local authorities for holding (a) Parliamentary and (b) local authority by-elections, broken down by local authority ward.

The Electoral Commission does not hold data on the average cost to local authorities for holding elections. Local authorities are responsible for managing the costs of elections within their area and hold their own local data. The cost of conducting UK parliamentary elections is paid for by the UK Government through the Consolidated Fund, while local elections are paid for directly from the individual local authority budgets.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) produces a report on the costs of each UK parliamentary general election, including a breakdown of costs by category, such as staff costs and equipment. The report for the 2024 UK parliamentary general election will be published in due course.