(1)Section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Assembly constituencies and numbers of members) is amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (3) (effect on Assembly constituencies of Orders in Council under the 1986 Act), for paragraph (a) substitute—
“(a)the first election under section 31 or 32 for which the notice of election, which is required to be published under Assembly Election Rules, is published—
(i)on a day after the end of the period of six months beginning with the day on which the Order comes into force, or
(ii)if sooner, on or after the day on which Parliament is dissolved prior to the first parliamentary general election in relation to which the Order has effect; and”.
(3)After subsection (3) insert—
“(4)In subsection (3), “Assembly Election Rules” means the rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983, as applied by Article 3 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2599).”