Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024

Prospective

4 Additional Deputy Presiding Officer E+W

(1) In section 25 (Presiding Officer etc.) of the 2006 Act—

(a) in subsection (1)(b), for “(referred to in this Act as “the Deputy Presiding Officer”)” substitute “(see subsection (1B)(a))”;

(b) after subsection (1), insert—

“(1A) The Senedd may at any time elect one additional deputy presiding officer from among the Members of the Senedd (but there may be no more than one additional deputy presiding officer at any time).

(1B) In this Act, “Deputy Presiding Officer” means, unless the context requires otherwise—

(a) the person elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1);

(b) a person elected under subsection (1A),

but in section 23(4)(b) “Deputy Presiding Officer means only the person elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1).”;

(c) in subsection (2), for “is to be known as the Deputy Presiding Officer”, substitute “and a person elected under subsection (1A) are each to be known as Deputy Presiding Officer”;

(d) for subsection (4), substitute—

“(4) A Deputy Presiding Officer holds office until the Senedd is dissolved; but the standing orders may make provision for a Deputy Presiding Officer elected under subsection (1A) to hold office for a shorter time.”;

(e) in subsection (5), for “Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”;

(f) in subsection (6)—

(i) after “the Deputy Presiding Officer” insert “elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1)”;

(ii) after “Members of the Senedd” insert “(and references in this section to a person elected under paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) include a reference to a person elected under this subsection)”;

(g) in subsection (7), after “the Deputy Presiding Officer” insert “elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1)”;

(h) after subsection (7), insert—

“(7A) Subject to subsection (9), a Deputy Presiding Officer elected under subsection (1A) must not belong to—

(a) the same political group as either the Presiding Officer or Deputy Presiding Officer elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1), or

(b) where the Presiding Officer and the Deputy Presiding Officer elected under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) both belong to political groups without an executive role, a political group without an executive role.”;

(i) in subsection (9), for “subsection (7) is not to apply” substitute “one or both of subsections (7) and (7A) are not to apply”;

(j) in subsection (10), for “the Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”;

(k) in subsection (11), for “the Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”;

(l) in subsection (12), for paragraph (b), substitute—

“(b) the office of Deputy Presiding Officer is vacant or, for any reason, no Deputy Presiding Officer is able to act.”;

(m) in subsection (13), for “Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”.

(2) In section 20(3)(b) (remuneration of Members of the Senedd) of the 2006 Act, for “Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”.

(3) In section 41 (proceedings by or against the Senedd) of the 2006 Act—

(a) in subsection (2)(a), for “Deputy Presiding Officer”, substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”;

(b) in subsection (4)(b), for “Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”.

(4) In section 159 (index of defined expressions) of the 2006 Act, omit the entry for “the Deputy Presiding Officer”.

(5) In paragraph 16A(6) of Schedule 1 (chairing of the Llywydd’s Committee) to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41), for “the Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”.

(6) In section 28(2) (delegation of functions) of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), for “the Deputy Presiding Officer” substitute “a Deputy Presiding Officer”.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 comes into force in accordance with s. 25(4)