(1)The Secretary of State may by order make provision as to—
(a)the conduct of elections for the return of Assembly members,
(b)the questioning of an election for the return of Assembly members and the consequences of irregularities, and
(c)the return of an Assembly member otherwise than at an election.
(2)The provision which may be made under subsection (1)(a) includes, in particular, provision—
(a)about the registration of electors,
(b)for disregarding alterations in a register of electors,
(c)about the limitation of the election expenses of candidates (and the creation of criminal offences in connection with the limitation of such expenses),
(d)for the combination of polls at elections for the return of Assembly members and other elections, and
(e)for modifying the operation of sections 6 and 8(2) in a case where the poll at an election for the return of the Assembly constituency member for an Assembly constituency is abandoned (or notice of it is countermanded).
(3)The provision that may be made under subsection (1)(c) includes, in particular, provision making modifications to section 11(3) to (5).
(4)An order under this section may—
(a)apply or incorporate, with or without modifications or exceptions, any provision of or made under the election enactments,
(b)modify any form contained in, or in regulations or rules made under, the Representation of the People Acts so far as may be necessary to enable it to be used both for the original purpose and in relation to elections for the return of Assembly members, and
(c)so far as may be necessary in consequence of any provision made by this Act or an order under this section, make modifications of any provision made by or under any enactment relating to the registration of parliamentary electors or local government electors.
(5)In subsection (4)(a) “the election enactments” means—
(a)the Representation of the People Acts,
(b)the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41),
(c)the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 (c. 24), and
(d)any other enactments relating to parliamentary elections, European Parliamentary elections or local government elections.
(6)No return of an Assembly member at an election may be questioned except by an election petition under the provisions of Part 3 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) as applied by or incorporated in an order under this section.
(7)No order is to be made under this section unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.