Government of Wales Act 2006

Exercise of functions before appointment of first First Minister

22 (1) Nothing in this Act (including in particular the repeal of section 1 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (c. 38)), or in that Act, is to be taken to dissolve the Assembly constituted by that Act until the end of the initial period.

(2) Despite this Act and section 2(5) of that Act, during the initial period the Assembly constituted by that Act is to be treated as consisting of the persons who—

(a) immediately before the beginning of the initial period, hold office as the Assembly First Secretary, an Assembly Secretary or the presiding officer, and

(b) are candidates to be Assembly members at the 2007 election.

(3) But a person ceases to be a member of that Assembly—

(a) if not returned as an Assembly member at that election, when the Assembly members for the Assembly constituency or Assembly electoral region for which that person is a candidate are returned, or

(b) if disqualified from being an Assembly member, when that disqualification takes effect.

(4) For so long as a person is a member of the Assembly constituted by the Government of Wales Act 1998 by virtue of this paragraph the person continues to be entitled to the same salary and allowances as the person was entitled to by virtue of section 16 of that Act immediately before the beginning of the initial period.