Ministers, staff etc.
46The First Minister
(1)The First Minister is to be appointed by Her Majesty after nomination in accordance with section 47.
(2)The First Minister holds office at Her Majesty’s pleasure.
(3)The First Minister may at any time tender resignation to Her Majesty and ceases to hold office as First Minister when it is accepted.
(4)A person ceases to hold office as the First Minister if another person is appointed to that office.
(5)The functions of the First Minister are exercisable by a person designated by the Presiding Officer if—
(a)the office of the First Minister is vacant,
(b)the First Minister is for any reason unable to act, or
(c)the First Minister has ceased to be an Assembly member.
(6)A person may not be designated to exercise the functions of the First Minister unless the person is—
(a)an Assembly member, or
(b)if the Assembly has been dissolved, a person who ceased to be an Assembly member by reason of the dissolution.
(7)A person may be designated to exercise the functions of the First Minister only on the recommendation of the Welsh Ministers (unless there is no-one holding office as a Welsh Minister appointed under section 48).
(8)If a person is designated to exercise the functions of the First Minister, the designation continues to have effect even if the Assembly is dissolved.
47Choice of First Minister
(1)If one of the following events occurs, the Assembly must, before the end of the relevant period, nominate an Assembly member for appointment as First Minister.
(2)The events are—
(a)the holding of a poll at a general election,
(b)the Assembly resolving that the Welsh Ministers no longer enjoy the confidence of the Assembly,
(c)the First Minister tendering resignation to Her Majesty,
(d)the First Minister dying or becoming permanently unable to act and to tender resignation, and
(e)the First Minister ceasing to be an Assembly member otherwise than by reason of a dissolution.
(3)The relevant period is the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which the event occurs; but—
(a)if another of those events occurs within that period, the relevant period is (subject to paragraph (b)) extended to end with the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which that other event occurs, and
(b)the relevant period ends if the Assembly passes a resolution under section 5(2)(a) or when Her Majesty appoints a person as the First Minister.
(4)The Presiding Officer must recommend to Her Majesty the appointment of the person nominated by the Assembly under subsection (1).
48Welsh Ministers
(1)The First Minister may, with the approval of Her Majesty, appoint Welsh Ministers from among the Assembly members.
(2)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section holds office at Her Majesty’s pleasure.
(3)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section may be removed from office by the First Minister.
(4)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section may at any time resign.
(5)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section must resign if the Assembly resolves that the Welsh Ministers no longer enjoy the confidence of the Assembly.
(6)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section who resigns ceases to hold office immediately.
(7)A Welsh Minister appointed under this section ceases to hold office on ceasing to be an Assembly member otherwise than by reason of a dissolution.
49Counsel General
(1)The Counsel General is to be appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the First Minister.
(2)The Counsel General may be removed from office by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the First Minister.
(3)No recommendation for the appointment or removal of a person as the Counsel General may be made by the First Minister without the agreement of the Assembly.
(4)The Counsel General may at any time tender resignation to Her Majesty and ceases to hold office as Counsel General when it is accepted.
(5)The Counsel General ceases to hold office if an Assembly member is nominated under section 47(1) for appointment as First Minister.
(6)The functions of the Counsel General are exercisable by a person designated by the First Minister if—
(a)the office of the Counsel General is vacant, or
(b)the Counsel General is for any reason unable to act.
(7)But subsection (6) ceases to have effect at the end of the period of six months beginning with the day on which a person is designated under it and does not have effect again until after the office of the Counsel General has been filled, or the Counsel General has again become able to act.
(8)The designation of a person under subsection (6) ceases to have effect if an Assembly member is nominated under section 47(1) for appointment as First Minister.
(9)A person holding office as the First Minister, a Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 or a Deputy Welsh Minister may not be appointed as the Counsel General or designated under subsection (6); and the Counsel General or a person so designated may not be appointed to any of those offices.
50Deputy Welsh Ministers
(1)The First Minister may, with the approval of Her Majesty, appoint Deputy Welsh Ministers from among the Assembly members to assist the First Minister, a Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 or the Counsel General in the exercise of functions.
(2)A Deputy Welsh Minister holds office at Her Majesty’s pleasure.
(3)A Deputy Welsh Minister may be removed from office by the First Minister.
(4)A Deputy Welsh Minister may at any time resign.
(5)A Deputy Welsh Minister must resign if the Assembly resolves that the Welsh Ministers no longer enjoy the confidence of the Assembly.
(6)A Deputy Welsh Minister who resigns ceases to hold office immediately.
(7)A Deputy Welsh Minister ceases to hold office on ceasing to be an Assembly member otherwise than by reason of a dissolution.
51Limit on number of Ministers
(1)No more than twelve persons are to hold a relevant Welsh Ministerial office at any time.
(2)A relevant Welsh Ministerial office means the office of Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 or the office of Deputy Welsh Minister.
52Staff
(1)The Welsh Ministers may appoint persons to be members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government.
(2)Service as a member of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government is service in the Home Civil Service.
(3)Subsection (1) and any other enactment about the appointment of persons as members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government are subject to any provision made in relation to the Home Civil Service by or under any Order in Council.
(4)Any Civil Service management function is exercisable by the Minister for the Civil Service in relation to members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government as in relation to other members of the Home Civil Service; and, accordingly, section 1 of the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 (c. 61) (delegation of functions by Ministers) applies to any such function as extended by this subsection (so as to allow functions to be delegated to the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General).
(5)The Welsh Ministers are to pay the salaries and expenses of the members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government.
(6)Section 1(2) and (3) of the Superannuation Act 1972 (c. 11) (delegation of functions relating to civil service superannuation schemes by Minister for the Civil Service to another Minister etc. and consultation by that Minister or another Minister) have effect as if the references to a Minister of the Crown other than the Minister for the Civil Service included the Welsh Ministers.
(7)The Welsh Ministers must make payments to the Minister for the Civil Service, at such times as the Minister for the Civil Service may determine, of such amounts as may be so determined in respect of—
(a)the provision of pensions, allowances or gratuities by virtue of section 1 of the Superannuation Act 1972 to or in respect of persons who are or have been members of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government, and
(b)the expenses incurred in administering those pensions, allowances and gratuities.
(8)The Welsh Ministers may make payments towards the provision of pensions, allowances or gratuities to or in respect of any person who is or has been a member of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government.
(9)Without prejudice to any rule of law with respect to the carrying out of functions by members of the Home Civil Service under authority, the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General may authorise the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government to carry out any function on their behalf.
(10)In this section—
“Civil Service management function” means any function to which section 1 of the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 (c. 61) applies and which is vested in the Minister for the Civil Service, and
“the Home Civil Service” means Her Majesty’s Home Civil Service.