The Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2008

Statutory Instruments

2008 No. 1791

Representation Of The People, Wales

The Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2008

Made

9th July 2008

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 9th day of July 2008

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

The Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”) have, in accordance with section 3(3) of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986(1)(“the 1986 Act”), submitted to the Secretary of State a report dated 31st January 2008(2)(“the report”), which recommends that there be an alteration to the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies into which Wales is divided.

In accordance with paragraph 8(2) of Schedule 1 to the Government of Wales Act 2006(3), the report also recommends that there be an alteration to the boundaries of the electoral regions of the National Assembly for Wales.

Under section 3(5) of the 1986 Act, the Secretary of State has laid a copy of the report before Parliament together with a draft of this Order to give effect, without modifications, to the recommendations in the report and the draft Order has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

Accordingly, Her Majesty, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to make the following Order under section 4(5) of the 1986 Act:

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2008.

(2) Subject to section 4(6) of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 and paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 1 to the Government of Wales Act 2006, this Order shall come into force on the fourteenth day after the day on which it is made.

Amendment to the Parliamentary constituencies and Assembly electoral regions in Wales

2.  In article 1(3)(b) of the Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006(4), for “31st January 2005” substitute “1st April 2005”.

Electoral registers

3.  Each electoral registration officer for—

(a) the Parliamentary constituencies; and

(b) the Assembly electoral regions,

affected by this Order, shall make such re-arrangement or adaptation of the registers of parliamentary or, as the case may be, local government electors as may be necessary to give effect to this Order.

Judith Simpson

Clerk of the Privy Council

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order gives effect, without modifications, to the recommendations contained in the report submitted to the Secretary of State by the Boundary Commission for Wales on 31st January 2008 (“the report”) with respect to the areas comprised in the constituencies of Brecon and Radnorshire, and Neath (HC 588).

The Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006 (S.I.2006/1041) (“the 2006 Order”) sets out the parliamentary constituencies into which Wales is divided and the electoral regions of the National Assembly for Wales. By virtue of articles 1(3)(b) and 2 of the 2006 Order, the parliamentary constituencies are described by reference to local government areas as they existed on 31st January 2005 and, by virtue of article 3, the Assembly electoral regions are described by reference to the parliamentary constituencies.

The Neath Port Talbot and Powys (Cwmtwrch) Order 2004 No. 2746 (W.244) altered the county boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the County of Powys. That Order came into force for all relevant purposes on 1st April 2005.

The Boundary Commission for Wales’ report recommended that the boundary between Neath County Constituency and Brecon and Radnorshire County Constituency, as constituted by the 2006 Order, be altered to conform with the new county boundary. The report also recommended that the boundary between the South Wales West Assembly electoral region and the Mid and West Wales Assembly electoral region be altered to conform with the new constituency boundary. This Order implements those recommendations without modifications.

By virtue of section 4(6) of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (c.56), the coming into force of this Order will not affect any parliamentary election until a proclamation is issued by Her Majesty summoning a new Parliament, or affect the constitution of the House of Commons until the dissolution of the Parliament then in being. In addition, by virtue of paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 1 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c.32), the coming into force of the Order will not affect the operation of section 10 (constituency vacancies) or section 11 (electoral region vacancies) of that Act, or the constitution of the Assembly, at any time before the next general election of Assembly members.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this Order as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

(1)

()1986 c.56. Amendments made to sections 3 and 4 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c.41) are not yet in force.

(2)

HC 588.

(3)

()2006 c.32. The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (c.56) is extended by Schedule 1 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 for the purposes of alterations to the electoral regions of the National Assembly for Wales and the allocation of seats to those regions. Schedule 1 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 has effect subject to the modifications in paragraph 1 of Schedule 11 to that Act until the coming into force of section 16(1) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c.41).

(4)

S.I. 2006/1041.