Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021

Entitlement of members to job-share and to family absence

60 Job-sharing: non-executive offices in principal councils

(1) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make provision for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the sharing of a principal council office.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “principal council office” means—

(a) chair of a principal council (see section 22 of the 1972 Act);

(b) vice-chair of a principal council (see section 24 of that Act);

(c) presiding member of a principal council (see section 24A of that Act);

(d) deputy presiding member of a principal council (see section 24B of that Act);

(e) chair of a committee or sub-committee of a principal council;

(f) vice-chair or deputy chair of a committee or sub-committee of a principal council;

(g) deputy mayor in a mayor and cabinet executive (see Schedule 1 to the 2000 Act (executive arrangements)).

(3) Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular—

(a) require principal councils to facilitate or enable the sharing of a principal council office (including by way of amending standing orders and other instruments);

(b) make provision about the appointment, election or nomination of a person to share a principal council office;

(c) make provision about the exercise of the functions of a principal council office which is shared;

(d) make provision about voting and quorum where a principal council office is shared.

(4) Regulations under subsection (1) may amend, modify, apply (with or without modifications), disapply, repeal or revoke any enactment.

(5) A principal council must have regard to any guidance issued by the Welsh Ministers for the purposes of regulations made under subsection (1).

(6) In subsection (2), a reference to a committee or sub-committee includes a reference to a joint committee, or a sub-committee of a joint committee.

61 Family absence for members of local authorities

(1) The 2011 Measure is amended as follows.

(2) In section 24 (maternity absence)—

(a) for subsection (2) substitute—

“(2) Regulations must include provision for determining—

(a) the extent of a member’s entitlement to maternity absence in respect of a child;

(b) when maternity absence may be taken.”;

(b) omit subsections (3) and (4).

(3) In section 25 (newborn absence), omit—

(a) subsection (4);

(b) subsection (6);

(c) subsection (9);

(d) in subsection (10), the definition of “week”.

(4) In section 26 (adopter’s absence), omit subsection (3).

(5) In section 27 (new adoption absence) omit—

(a) subsection (4);

(b) subsection (6);

(c) subsections (9) and (10).

(6) In section 28 (parental absence), omit subsection (4).