Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2020/1/notes
Timestamp: 2020-02-28 09:10:59
Document Index: 628908685

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4']

1.These explanatory notes are for the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 which was passed by the National Assembly for Wales on 27 November 2019 and received Royal Assent on 15 January 2020. They have been prepared by officials of the Assembly Commission on behalf of Elin Jones AM, the Member in Charge of the Act, to assist the reader of the Act.
2.The explanatory Notes should be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So, where a section or part of a section does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.
Part 2.Renaming of the National Assembly for Wales
3.This Part makes provision to change the name of the National Assembly for Wales to “Senedd Cymru” or “Welsh Parliament” and to make other associated changes. Acts of the National Assembly for Wales will become known as Acts of Senedd Cymru or Deddfau Senedd Cymru. Members of the National Assembly for Wales will be known as Members of the Senedd or Aelodau’r Senedd. Related bodies and persons, such as the Assembly Commission, the Clerk of the Assembly, the Remuneration Board and the Commissioner for Standards, will also be renamed.
4.This Part also makes amendments to other legislation, in particular the Government of Wales Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”), the National Assembly for Wales Commissioner for Standards Measure 2009 (“the 2009 Measure”), and the National Assembly for Wales (Remuneration) Measure 2010 (“the 2010 Measure”). Section 150A(2) of the 2006 Act ensures that any references to the Assembly, the Assembly Commission or an Act of the Assembly in other legislation will reflect the new name when it is changed.
5.Section 2 replaces the reference in section 1 of the 2006 Act to “National Assembly for Wales” with “Senedd Cymru or the Welsh Parliament” (to be referred to in the remainder of the 2006 Act as “the Senedd”). Paragraph 2 (3)(a) of Schedule 1 to the Act makes a further amendment to section 1 of the 2006 Act in consequence of this to make it clear that there is to be a parliament (rather than an Assembly) for Wales. As noted, the 2006 Act will refer to the parliament as “the Senedd”.
7.Section 4 provides that Members of the Assembly for Wales are to be known as Members of the Senedd or Aelodau’r Senedd.
8.Section 5 amends section 26(2) of the 2006 Act to provide that the Clerk of the Assembly is to be known as the Clerk of the Senedd or Clerc y Senedd.
9.Section 6 replaces the reference in section 27(1) of the 2006 Act to “National Assembly for Wales Commission” with “Senedd Commission or Comisiwn y Senedd”.
10.Section 7 replaces the reference to the “National Assembly for Wales Commissioner for Standards” in section 1 (1) of the 2009 Measure with “Senedd Commissioner for Standards”.
Part 4.Disqualification
95.Part 4 of the Act amends the law on disqualification from membership of the Senedd. The provisions in Part 4 reflect some of the recommendations made by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee of the National Assembly in its report on disqualification in July 2014 - Inquiry into the Disqualification from Membership of the National Assembly for Wales.
96.Section 16(1)(a) and (2) of the 2006 Act currently provide that a person is disqualified from membership of the Senedd if the person is disqualified from being a member of the House of Commons. Part 4 of the Act repeals those provisions and inserts new provisions into the 2006 Act which identify all of the grounds of disqualification on the face of the 2006 Act rather than by reference to disqualification from membership of the House of Commons.
97.Part 4 also amends the 2006 Act so that it distinguishes between the circumstances that are a bar to candidature for the Senedd and those offices that are a bar to taking up membership of the Senedd but not to candidature. The latter are those that are considered could give rise to a conflict of interest with membership of the Senedd, but where the conflicting office can be resigned before taking the oath, or making the affirmation, of allegiance.
98.The special arrangements already made in relation to Members of Parliament in sections 17A and 17B of the 2006 Act are retained. Those sections allow a person to be a member of both legislatures for a limited period in certain circumstances. The Act amends the 2006 Act so that special provision is likewise made in relation to members of the House of Lords and members of local authorities in Wales.
99.These changes will take effect for the purposes of an election for the Senedd at which the poll is held on or after 5 April 2021.
106.Section 30 amends section 17 of the 2006 Act. Subsection (2) removes the exception from disqualification for peers and Lords Spiritual (archbishops and bishops). It also removes the exception from disqualification for EU citizens resident in the UK born overseas which is no longer necessary given the repeal of section 16(2) of the 2006 Act. Equivalent provision is now made in the new Schedule 1A to the 2006 Act.
107.Subsection (3) amends section 17(3) of the 2006 Act so that the Senedd is able to grant relief and disregard a person’s disqualification from membership of the Senedd if they are disqualified by virtue of section 16 (1) of the 2006 Act, but not if the person is also disqualified from being a candidate to be a Member of the Senedd by virtue of section 16(A1).
108.Section 17B of the 2006 Act provides an exception from disqualification for an Assembly Member returned as a Member of Parliament within 372 days of the expected day of the next general election of Assembly Members. For the purpose of section 17B of the 2006 Act, the expected day of the next general election of Assembly Members is to be determined by reference to the circumstances at the beginning of the day of the return of the Assembly Member as a Member of Parliament. This is referred to as “the relevant time”.
109.Section 31 amends section 17B of the 2006 Act so that it reflects the amendments made by the Wales Act 2017 to sections 3 and 4 of the 2006 Act, specifically in relation to the methods by which the date of an Assembly election may be moved.
110.Section 31 also amends section 17B(4) of the 2006 Act to replace an incorrect reference to ‘an Order in Council’ to a proclamation to ensure consistency with section 5 of the 2006 Act as amended by the Wales Act 2017.
111.Section 32 inserts a new section 17C into the 2006 Act. Members of the House of Lords were previously not disqualified from membership of the Senedd by virtue of section 17(1) of the 2006 Act (repealed by section 30(2) of this Act). Members of the House of Lords will in future be disqualified under section 16(1)(zb) of the 2006 Act (inserted by section 29(3)(b) of this Act), subject to the exceptions introduced by this section.
112.Under section 17(C) (1) of the 2006 Act, members of the House of Lords returned at an election as a Member of the Senedd will not be disqualified during the eight day period following their return. The eight day ‘grace period’ is intended to give newly elected Members sufficient time to make an application for leave of absence from the House of Lords. The House of Lords may grant leave of absence to a Member where the Member is temporarily unable to attend sittings of the House and where the Member has a reasonable expectation that he or she will again take part in proceedings of the House in future.
113.New section 17(C)(2) of the 2006 Act will similarly provide that Members of the Senedd who become members of the House of Lords will not be disqualified before the end of the period of eight days beginning with the day the person makes and subscribes the oath (or corresponding affirmation) as required by the Parliamentary Oaths Act 1866.
114.New section 17(C)(3) of the 2006 Act provides that a person is not disqualified from being a Member of the Senedd if they either have leave of absence from the House of Lords, or have made an application for leave which has not been withdrawn or refused.
115.New section 17(C)(4) of the 2006 Act will make it clear that a person who is on leave of absence from the House of Lords immediately before the UK Parliament is dissolved, is not disqualified from membership of the Senedd at any time between dissolution of the old Parliament and ending at the end of the period of eight days beginning with the day of the first meeting of the new Parliament. The purpose of this provision is to allow a Member of the House of Lords on leave of absence during one Parliament (and who wishes to continue that absence) sufficient time to renew their leave of absence from the House at the start of the new Parliament.
136.The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Act’s passage through the National Assembly for Wales. The Record of Proceedings and further information on the passage of this Act can be found on the National Assembly for Wales’ website at:
http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=23754
Introduced 12 February 2019
Stage 1 - Debate 10 July 2019
Stage 2 – consideration of amendments 9 October 2019
Stage 3 – consideration of amendments 13 November 2019
Stage 4 - Approved by the Assembly 27 November 2019
Royal Assent 15 January 2020