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Local Government (Wales) Act 2015

2015 anaw 6

An Act of the National Assembly for Wales to make provision for and in connection with a reduction in the number of principal local authorities in Wales and to make other amendments of local government law as it applies in relation to Wales.

[25 November 2015]

Having been passed by the National Assembly for Wales and having received the assent of Her Majesty, it is enacted as follows:

IntroductoryE+W

1OverviewE+W

F1(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)This Act also makes other amendments to local government law; and more specifically—

F2(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b)section 40 makes changes to the duty of certain local authorities to have regard to recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales;

(c)section 41 makes provision about the membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales;

(d)section 42 amends the provisions relating to surveys of councillors and unsuccessful candidates for election as councillors;

(e)section 43 provides for the saving of electoral proposals submitted to the Welsh Ministers before the commencement of Part 3 of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 came into force.

Textual Amendments

F32Main definitionsE+W

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Voluntary mergers of local authoritiesE+W

F33Proposals for mergerE+W

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F34Consultation before making merger applicationE+W

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F35Guidance about merger applicationsE+W

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F36Power to make merger regulationsE+W

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F37Shadow authoritiesE+W

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F38Elections and councillorsE+W

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F39Mayor and cabinet executive model authoritiesE+W

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F310Other consequential etc. provisionE+W

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Transition committeesE+W

F311Transition committeesE+W

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F312Composition of transition committeesE+W

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F313Functions of transition committeesE+W

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F314Sub-committees of transition committeesE+W

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F315Provision of funding, facilities and information to transition committeesE+W

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Electoral arrangements etc. for new principal areasE+W

F316Directions to conduct initial reviewE+W

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F317Directions and guidance to CommissionE+W

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F318Conduct of initial reviewE+W

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F319Pre-review procedureE+W

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F320Consultation and investigationE+W

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F321Reporting on initial reviewE+W

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F322Implementation by Welsh MinistersE+W

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F323Electoral regulations if no recommendations madeE+W

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F324Future review periodsE+W

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Remuneration etc. arrangements for new principal local authoritiesE+W

F325Directions to Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales to perform relevant functionsE+W

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F326Reports of PanelE+W

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F327Directions and guidance to PanelE+W

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F328Pay policy statementsE+W

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Restraints on transactions and recruitment etc. by merging authoritiesE+W

F329Restraining transactions and recruitment etc. by directionE+W

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F330Directions under section 29(1): supplementaryE+W

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F331Directions under section 29(1): further provision about reservesE+W

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F332Directions under section 29(3): supplementaryE+W

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F333Directions: consequences of contraventionE+W

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F334Interpretation of sections 29 to 36E+W

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F335Determining whether financial limits have been exceededE+W

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F336Guidance in relation to transactions, recruitment etc.E+W

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Information requirementsE+W

F337Requirement on merging authority to provide information to Welsh MinistersE+W

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F338Requirement on merging authority to provide information to other authoritiesE+W

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Other provisions relating to Independent Remuneration Panel for WalesE+W

F339Temporary extension of functions of Panel relating to heads of paid service to chief officersE+W

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Textual Amendments

40Changes to duty to have regard to Panel recommendations about salariesE+W

(1)Section 143A of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (functions of Panel in relation to salaries of heads of paid service) is amended as follows.

(2)After subsection (3) insert—

“(3A)But a qualifying relevant authority that has consulted the Panel about a proposed reduction in salary may make the reduction before receiving a recommendation from the Panel if the contract under which the salary is payable does not prevent the authority from changing the salary after receiving a recommendation.

(3B)A qualifying relevant authority that makes a change to the salary of its head of paid service in accordance with subsection (3A) and subsequently receives a recommendation from the Panel about the change—

(a)must reconsider the salary, and

(b)when doing so, must have regard to the recommendation.”

(3)After subsection (4) insert—

“(4A)The Panel must notify the Welsh Ministers of every recommendation it makes under this section.”

(4)After subsection (5) insert—

“(5A)A qualifying relevant authority—

(a)must notify the Panel and the Welsh Ministers of its response to a recommendation made by the Panel about a change to the salary of its head of paid service before the end of the period of 14 days starting with the day on which the authority determines the response, and

(b)must not make a change to the salary before—

(i)the end of the period of eight weeks starting with the day on which the authority notifies the Welsh Ministers under paragraph (a), or

(ii)if, before the end of that period, the Welsh Ministers notify the authority that they will not be giving the authority a direction under subsection (5B), the day on which that notice is received.

(5B)If the Welsh Ministers consider that a qualifying relevant authority's response to a recommendation made by the Panel about a change of salary means that the authority will pay (or, under subsection (3A), is paying) a salary which is inconsistent with the recommendation, the Welsh Ministers—

(a)may direct the authority to reconsider the salary, and

(b)may specify in the direction the time by which the authority must do so.”

41Panel membershipE+W

(1)Paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (membership of Panel) is amended as follows.

(2)In sub-paragraph (1), for “five” substitute “ not fewer than 3, and not more than 7, ”.

(3)Omit sub-paragraph (5) (employees of local authorities etc. not disqualified from membership).

MiscellaneousE+W

42Survey of councillors and unsuccessful candidates for election as councillorsE+W

(1)Section 1 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (duty to conduct survey of councillors and unsuccessful candidates for election as councillors) is amended as follows.

(2)In subsection (2) (local authority to conduct survey after each ordinary election), for “after” substitute “ , or arrange for the conduct of a survey, in relation to ”.

(3)After subsection (3) insert—

“(3A)A survey in the case of an ordinary election may be conducted—

(a)entirely after the ordinary election, or

(b)by asking the candidates for election to the office of councillor to answer the prescribed questions before the ordinary election and collating the information provided afterwards.”

(4)In subsection (5) (no duty to provide information) for “a councillor or an unsuccessful candidate for election to the office of councillor” substitute “ any individual ”.

(5)Omit subsection (6) (local authority to arrange for information to be provided anonymously).

43Proposals submitted before commencement of Part 3 of Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013E+W

In section 74(2) of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 (reviews under Part 4 of Local Government Act 1972 ongoing at commencement of Part 3 of Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013), insert at the end “ and for the purposes of proposals submitted to the Welsh Ministers before that time. ”

SupplementaryE+W

F444RegulationsE+W

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F545InterpretationE+W

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46CommencementE+W

(1)Sections 25 to 28 and 37 to 43 come into force at the end of the period of 2 months beginning with the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent.

(2)Subject to that, this Act comes into force on the day following that on which this Act receives Royal Assent.

47Short titleE+W

The short title of this Act is the Local Government (Wales) Act 2015.