Government of Wales Act 1998

Initial provisions

49 First meeting

(1) The first meeting of the Assembly shall be held on the day, and at the time and place, appointed by order made by the Secretary of State.

(2) The Secretary of State for Wales, or a person nominated by him, shall take the chair at the first meeting of the Assembly until the election of an Assembly member to be the presiding officer in accordance with the standing orders.

50 First standing orders

(1) The Secretary of State shall appoint Commissioners to prepare a draft of standing orders to have effect when the Assembly first meets.

(2) When the Commissioners have prepared draft standing orders, they shall submit them to the Secretary of State.

(3) The Secretary of State shall consider the draft standing orders submitted to him and make standing orders either in the form of the draft or in that form but with such modifications as he considers appropriate.

(4) The Secretary of State shall publish the standing orders as soon as is reasonably practicable after he has made them.

(5) The standing orders made by the Secretary of State shall have effect (subject to any revisions made by the Assembly) unless and until they are remade by the Assembly.

51 The Commissioners

(1) There shall be not fewer than five, and not more than nine, Commissioners.

(2) The Commissioners shall hold office on such terms (including terms as to the payment of allowances and expenses) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(3) A Commissioner may resign, and the Secretary of State may remove a Commissioner from office, at any time.

(4) The Secretary of State may issue to the Commissioners guidance as to—

(a) the content and form of the draft standing orders which they are to prepare, and

(b) the date by which draft standing orders prepared by them are to be submitted to him.

(5) But no guidance may be issued as to the content of the draft standing orders if standing orders prepared in accordance with it would not comply with any requirement contained in this Part.

(6) Any guidance issued by the Secretary of State under subsection (4) shall be published by him.