Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024

48 Deadline for completion of reviews

(1) The 2013 Act is amended as follows.

(2) After section 36A (proposals for names of electoral wards: review reports) (inserted by section 44) insert—

“36B Deadline for completion of reviews

(1) Before conducting a review under this Part, the Commission or, as the case may be, a principal council must publish a statement specifying the day on which the review begins.

(2) The Commission must, in relation to a review it conducts under section 23, 27 or 29, use its best endeavours to publish its further report on the review in accordance with section 36(5)(b) before the end of a period of 12 months beginning with the day specified under subsection (1).

(3) The Commission must, in relation to a review it conducts under section 28, use its best endeavours to publish its further report on the review in accordance with section 36(5)(b) before the end of a period of 18 months beginning with the day specified under subsection (1).

(4) The Commission must, in relation to a review it conducts under section 2‍6 or 32, use its best endeavours to publish its further report on the review in accordance with section 36(5)(b) before the end of a period of 24 months beginning with the day specified under subsection (1).

(5) A principal council must, in relation to a review it conducts under section 25 or 31, use its best endeavours to publish its further report on the review in accordance with section 36(5)(b) before the end of a period of 24 months beginning with the day specified under subsection (1).

(6) If a reviewing body fails to comply with a duty imposed by this section in relation to a review, the body’s failure to comply does not affect the validity of the review for the purposes of this Act.”