Referendum costs
Published 14 January 2011
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/referendum-costs-latest-estimate/referendum-costs
We were asked for information on ‘the latest estimate of the cost to the public purse of all matters connected directly or indirectly with the holding of the proposed referendum on more devolution to the Welsh Assembly.’
The latest information held by the Wales Office on costs of the referendum is:
The estimated total cost remains £8.2 million. This is an estimate at this stage, and may be subject to revision as costs become firmed up.
The elements of overall cost are:
- the costs of funding the Electoral Commission work, estimated at £2.7 million will be met by the UK Consolidated Fund
- the Welsh Assembly government will bear the cost of the running of the referendum at a local level by counting officers, and postage costs of the free mail-out to households in Wales that both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns are entitled to if designated as lead campaigns. Precise details of these costs are being worked out, and provision for them will be made in a supplementary budget in the assembly nearer the time. They are estimated to be a total of around £5 to 5.5 million.