(1)Section 18 of the M1Representation of the People Act 1983 (polling districts and places at parliamentary elections) shall be amended in accordance with this section.
(2)In subsection (3)—
(a)for the words from “returning officer’s” to “places”, where it first occurs, there shall be substituted the words “ duty of every local authority to divide their area into polling districts for the purpose of parliamentary elections for so much of any constituency as is situated in their area and to designate the polling places for those polling districts ”;
(b)in paragraph (a)—
(i)for the words “returning officer” there shall be substituted the words “ local authority ”;
(ii)for the words “the constituency” there shall be substituted the words “ so much of the constituency as falls within their area ”; and
(iii)for the word “he” there shall be substituted the words “ the local authority ”;
and
(c)in paragraph (b), for the words from the beginning to “constituency”, where it last occurs, there shall be substituted the words “ each electoral ward, within the meaning of section 5 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which is wholly or partly within so much of any constituency as falls within their area ”.
(3)In subsection (5)—
(a)the words “any interested authority or” and “(or in Scotland, the returning officer)” shall cease to have effect;
(b)the words “or returning officer”, in both places where they occur, shall cease to have effect; and
(c)in the definition of “interested authority”, sub-paragraph (iii) shall cease to have effect.
(4)In subsection (6), the words “or returning officer” shall cease to have effect.