(1)The Presiding Officer must, after consultation with the Electoral Commission and the convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, fix the day on which the Scottish Parliament is first to meet after the poll for the 2021 election.
(2)The day fixed under subsection (1) must be as soon as reasonably practicable after the poll.
(3)If the day fixed under subsection (1) is not within the period of seven days beginning immediately after the day of the poll, any relevant additional days are to be disregarded for the purpose of the calculation of the period allowed, under section 46 of the Scotland Act 1998, for the Parliament to nominate one of its members for appointment as First Minister after the poll for the 2021 election.
(4)In subsection (3)—
“the day of the poll” means 6 May 2021 (or, where the Presiding Officer has exercised the power conferred by section 11(1), the day fixed by the Presiding Officer under that section for the holding of the poll for the 2021 election),
“a “relevant additional day” means any day in the period—
beginning with the eighth day immediately after the day of the poll, and
ending with the day fixed under subsection (1).
In relation to the 2021 election, section 19(1A)(b) of the Scotland Act 1998 has effect as if for the words “within the period of 14 days beginning immediately after” there were substituted “as soon as reasonably practicable after”.