The Scottish Parliament and local government elections in 2007 shared a wide range of facilities and services and as a consequence, were jointly funded by the Scotland Office and local authorities. All parties therefore benefited from such an arrangement. An arrangement whereby both elections were held on different days would significantly add to the aggregate costs. A final figure for the costs of the Scottish Parliament election in 2007 is not yet available as accounts from returning officers are still being assessed; the initial estimate of cost was £19 million.