Government of Wales Act 1998

The rules

8 (1) The rules referred to in paragraphs 4 and 7(2) are—

1 Each Assembly constituency shall be wholly included in one Assembly electoral region.

2 The regional electorate for an Assembly electoral region shall be as near the regional electorate for each other Assembly electoral region as is reasonably practicable, having regard (where appropriate) to special geographical considerations.

3 The total number of Assembly seats for the Assembly electoral regions shall be—

(a) one half of the total number of the Assembly constituencies, or

(b) (if that total number is not exactly divisible by two) one half of the number produced by adding one to that total number.

4 The number of Assembly seats for an Assembly electoral region shall be—

(a) one fifth of the total number of Assembly seats for the electoral Assembly regions, or

(b) (if that total number is not exactly divisible by five) either one fifth of the highest number which is less than that total number and exactly divisible by five or the number produced by adding one to one fifth of that highest number (as provided by sub-paragraphs (2) to (4)).

(2) If the total number of Assembly seats for the electoral Assembly regions is not exactly divisible by five, the Commission shall calculate the difference between—

(a) the total number of seats for the Assembly electoral regions, and

(b) the highest number which is less than that total number and exactly divisible by five,

and that is the number of residual seats to be allocated by the Commission.

(3) The Commission shall not allocate more than one residual seat to an Assembly electoral region.

(4) The Commission shall divide the regional electorate for each Assembly electoral region by the aggregate of—

(a) the number of Assembly constituencies in the Assembly electoral region, and

(b) one fifth of the highest number which is less than the total number of seats for the electoral Assembly regions and exactly divisible by five,

and, in allocating the residual seat or seats to an Assembly electoral region or Assembly electoral regions, shall have regard to the desirability of allocating the residual seat or seats to the Assembly electoral region or regions for which that calculation produces the highest number or numbers.