Section 54: Amendment of existing provisions about schemes for ordinary elections
136.This section repeals sections 7(4) to (6) of the Local Government Act 1972. Those provisions allow a non-metropolitan district council to request that the Secretary of State change its scheme for elections by order.
137.As a consequence of the repeal, section 54 contains saving provision. This is to ensure that the repeal does not apply to any request made under section 7(4) until the Secretary of State has either decided not to make an order giving effect to that request or has made such an order.
138.Section 54 also repeals the powers of the Secretary of State to provide by order a scheme for partial-council elections for a principal council in England under section 86 of the Local Government Act 2000 and, in relation to London borough councils only, under section 8(2) of the 1972 Act.
139.Subsection (6) preserves any orders made under the repealed provisions and they are therefore unaffected by the repeal.
