Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020

19 Declarations of local connection E+W

(1) Section 7B of the 1983 Act (notional residence: declarations of local connection) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) In relation to the registration of local government electors in Wales, this section also applies to a person who, on the date on which the person makes a declaration under subsection (1)—

(a) is under 18 years of age,

(b) does not fall within any of the paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (2), and

(c) meets any of the requirements specified in subsection (2B).

(2B) The requirements are that—

(a) the person is, or has been, a child who is looked after by a local authority, or

(b) the person is being kept in any secure accommodation specified in regulations made by the Welsh Ministers in circumstances specified in the regulations.

(2C) The power to make regulations under subsection (2B)(b) is exercisable by statutory instrument and is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the Senedd.

(2D) In subsection (2B)—

(a) the reference to a child who is looked after by a local authority has the same meaning as in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (anaw 1) (see section 74);

(b) “secure accommodation” means accommodation for the purpose of restricting the liberty of persons under the age of 18.”

(3) In subsection (3)(e), after “Union” insert “ or (if the declaration is made for the purposes only of the registration of local government electors in Wales) a qualifying foreign citizen ”.

(4) In subsection (4), after paragraph (b) insert—

“(c) in the case of a person falling within subsection (2A), any of the following—

(i) an address in Wales at which the person has previously been resident, or

(ii) an address used by a council of a county or county borough in Wales in which the person has previously been resident.”

(5) After subsection (7) insert—

“(7A) Despite anything in subsection (7), in relation to Wales, a relevant declaration made by a person has effect only for the person's registration as a local government elector.

(7B) In subsection (7A) a “relevant declaration” means—

(a) a declaration of local connection made by virtue of subsection (2A);

(b) a declaration of local connection made by a qualifying foreign citizen;

(c) any other declaration of local connection made by a person who, on the date on which the declaration is made, is—

(i) under the age of 17, and

(ii) not entitled to be registered in the register of parliamentary electors.

(7C) A relevant declaration referred to in subsection (7A) must be marked to show that it is available only for the purposes of registration as a local government elector, but otherwise is to be the same as other declarations of local connection.”