Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021

62 Duties of leaders of political groups in relation to standards of conduct

(1) The 2000 Act is amended as follows.

(2) After section 52 insert—

“52A County and county borough councils: duties of leaders of political groups in relation to standards of conduct

(1) A leader of a political group consisting of members of a county council or county borough council in Wales—

(a) must take reasonable steps to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by the members of the group, and

(b) must co-operate with the council’s standards committee (and any sub-committee of the committee) in the exercise of the standards committee’s functions.

(2) In complying with subsection (1), a leader of a political group must have regard to any guidance about the functions under that subsection issued by the Welsh Ministers.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make provision for the purposes of this section about the circumstances in which—

(a) members of a county council or county borough council in Wales are to be treated as constituting a political group;

(b) a member of a political group is to be treated as a leader of the group.

(4) Before making regulations under subsection (3), the Welsh Ministers must consult such persons as they think appropriate.”

(3) In section 54 (functions of standards committees), after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) A standards committee of a county council or county borough council in Wales also has the specific functions of—

(a) monitoring compliance by leaders of political groups on the council with their duties under section 52A(1), and

(b) advising, training or arranging to train leaders of political groups on the council about matters relating to those duties.”

(4) In section 106 (Wales: orders and regulations)—

(a) omit subsection (5);

(b) in subsection (7) after “section 21G” insert “or regulations under section 52A(3)”.

(5) In the 2013 Act, omit section 68(4)(a).

(6) In this Act, omit section 63(2).