The Representation of the People (Electoral Registers Publication Date) (Wales) Regulations 2023

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2023 No. 1318 (W. 235)

Representation Of The People, Wales

The Representation of the People (Electoral Registers Publication Date) (Wales) Regulations 2023

Made

6 December 2023

Coming into force

11 December 2023

The Welsh Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the power conferred on the Secretary of State by sections 13(1)(a) and 201(1) and (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983(1) (“the 1983 Act”) and now exercisable by them(2).

The Welsh Ministers have consulted the Electoral Commission in accordance with section 7(1) and (2)(e) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000(3).

A draft of these Regulations was laid before, and approved by resolution of Senedd Cymru in accordance with section 201(2)(4) of the 1983 Act(5).

Title, commencement, application and interpretation

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Representation of the People (Electoral Registers Publication Date) (Wales) Regulations 2023.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 11 December 2023.

(3) These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.

(4) In these Regulations, “the 1983 Act” means the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Date for publication of revised registers for the year 2024

2.—(1) This regulation applies to the requirement under section 13(1)(a) of the 1983 Act for registration officers to publish, for the year 2024, revised versions of the registers maintained under section 9(1)(b) of the 1983 Act(6).

(2) The date for the end of the period described in section 13(1)(a) of the 1983 Act, being the period during which the revised registers must be published, is 1 February 2025.

Rebecca Evans

Minister for Finance and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers

6 December 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations set a revised date for the end of the period during which the revised versions of the registers of local government electors in Wales, for the year 2024, must be published by registration officers under section 13(1)(a) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”).

Regulation 2(1) applies to the publication by a registration officer (see section 8 of the 1983 Act) for a county or county borough area in Wales of the revised register of local government electors maintained by that officer under section 9(1)(b) of the 1983 Act.

Regulation 2(2) sets the date by which that register must be published as 1 February 2025.

To ensure consistency in the publication of the electoral registers in Wales, the Representation of the People (Franchise Amendment and Eligibility Review) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1150) prescribe the date of 1 February 2025 for the publication by registration officers of the revised versions of the registers of United Kingdom parliamentary electors maintained for areas in Wales, for the year 2024, under section 9(1)(a) of the 1983 Act.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations as they implement a technical amendment which has no impact, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors.

(1)

1983 c. 2. Section 13 was substituted by paragraphs 1 and 6 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2) and section 13(1) was further substituted by section 5(1) of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 33). See section 202(1) for the meaning of “prescribed” in section 13(1). Section 201(1) was amended by paragraph 6(1) and (7)(a) of Schedule 21 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41). Section 201(3) was inserted by paragraphs 1 and 21 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000, and amended by paragraph 6(1) and (7)(d) of Schedule 21 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

(2)

The functions of the Secretary of State, insofar as they are exercisable within devolved competence, were transferred to the Welsh Ministers by article 45 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to, the Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/644).

(3)

2000 c. 41.

(4)

The reference to each House of Parliament in section 201(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 is to be read as a reference to the National Assembly for Wales by virtue of paragraph 9(2)(b) of Schedule 3 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32). The National Assembly for Wales was renamed Senedd Cymru by virtue of section 2 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (anaw 1).

(5)

Section 201(2) was substituted by section 24 of, and paragraph 69 of Schedule 4 to, the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50), and was amended by paragraph 6(1) and (7)(b) of Schedule 21 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41); by section 13(2) of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 (c. 13); by paragraph 1(9) of Schedule 8 to the Elections Act 2022 (c. 37); and by S.I. 1991/1728.

(6)

Section 9 was substituted by paragraphs 1 and 3 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2).