Retention, inspection and supply of spending returns
You must retain a copy of each candidate’s election spending return and declaration, along with any accompanying documents, for a period of two years beginning with the date when the return is received. During that period, you must make copies available for public inspection without charge.
If you have accepted expenses returns via email, you should think about how you will prepare returns for inspection. For example, will you allow inspection to take place on a computer under supervision, or will you print off all of the returns.
You should make copies of the spending returns, declarations, and other accompanying documents available to anybody who requests them for a fee of £0.20 per side of paper. You must supply copies of the spending returns or declaration upon receipt of payment.
The addresses of individuals who have made donations to candidates must be redacted from all inspection copies and copies supplied on request. You should also ensure that personal data is redacted from these copies. You should contact your Data Protection Officer for further advice.
At the end of the two-year period, if the candidate or the relevant election agent requests them, they must be returned to the candidate. Otherwise the returns, declaration and accompanying documents may be destroyed.1
No later than 10 calendar days after the deadline for spending returns to be submitted, you must publish, in at least two newspapers circulating in the constituency, a notice of the time and place at which the spending returns and declarations (including the accompanying documents) can be inspected. This notice must also be sent to each election agent.2
If there are outstanding returns or declarations by the time the notice is dispatched for publication, you must state this in the notice. If the returns/declarations are received subsequently, you must also publish a revised notice in the two newspapers.
We have produced guidance for candidates and agents on election spending and the required returns; in addition, candidates and agents can also download the return of candidate election spending form with integrated explanatory notes, the declaration by the election agent as to election spending and the declaration by the candidate as to their election spending. You can download all these documents from our website: for a UK Parliamentary General election, or for a UK Parliamentary by-election.