54.—(1) At an Assembly election the constituency returning officer shall—
(a)(subject to paragraph (2)) make arrangements for counting the votes in the presence of the counting agents as soon as practicable after the close of the poll; and
(b)give to the counting agents and, in the case of a regional election, to the regional returning officer, notice in writing—
(i)of the time and place at which the proceedings described in rule 55(1) will begin;
(ii)in the case where the power conferred by rule 55(3) is exercised, of the time and the place at which he will count the votes following completion of the proceedings described in rule 55(1); and
(iii)in the case of a direction under paragraph (2), of the time and the place at which he will count the votes following completion of the proceedings described in rule 55(1),
and a notice under this paragraph may be combined with another such notice.
(2) At an Assembly general election where there are polls at—
(a)a regional election; and
(b)constituency elections in the Assembly electoral region for which the regional election is held,
the Secretary of State may direct each constituency returning officer for any constituency within that Assembly electoral region that the counting of votes (as provided for in rule 55(5)) in respect of the regional and each constituency election shall not begin before such time between the hours of 9 in the morning and noon on the day following the close of polls for those elections (disregarding any day mentioned in rule 2) as is specified in the direction.
(3) A direction given under paragraph (2) shall be given not later than 28 days before the date of the poll at the Assembly general election in question.
(4) Where a direction is given under paragraph (2), then during the period beginning with the conclusion of the proceedings described in rule 55(1) and ending with the time specified in the direction, the constituency returning officer shall—
(a)place the ballot papers and other documents relating to each election under his own seal and the seals of such of the counting agents as desire to affix their seals; and
(b)otherwise take proper precautions for the security of the papers and documents.
(5) No person other than—
(a)the constituency returning officer and his clerks;
(b)the candidates and one other person chosen by each of them;
(c)the election agents;
(d)the counting agents;
(e)persons who are entitled to attend by virtue of any of sections 6A to 6D of the 2000 Political Parties Act; and
(f)in the case of a regional election, the regional returning officer,
may be present at the proceedings described in rule 55(1) or at the counting of the votes, unless permitted by the constituency returning officer.
(6) A person not entitled to attend at the proceedings described in rule 55(1) or at the counting of the votes shall not be permitted to do so by the constituency returning officer unless he—
(a)is satisfied that the efficient counting of the votes will not be impeded; and
(b)has either consulted the election agents or thought it impracticable to do so.
(7) The constituency returning officer shall give the counting agents all such reasonable facilities for overseeing the proceedings, and all such information with respect to them, as he can give them consistently with the orderly conduct of the proceedings and the discharge of his duties in connection with them.
(8) In particular, where the votes are counted by sorting the ballot papers according to—
(a)a candidate for whom a vote is given in the case of a constituency election; or
(b)an individual candidate for whom, or a registered political party for which, a vote is given in the case of a regional election,
and then counting the number of ballot papers for each such candidate or party, the counting agents shall be entitled to satisfy themselves that the ballot papers are correctly sorted.