[F1(1)When considering whether to make recommendations for changes to the electoral arrangements of a principal area, the Commission must have regard to the following factors—
(a)the desirability of having a ratio of local government electors to the number of members of the council to be elected that is the same, or nearly the same, in every electoral ward of the principal area;
(b)special geographical considerations, including in particular the size, shape and accessibility of an electoral ward;
(c)any local ties (including local ties connected to the use of the Welsh language) that would be broken by such changes.]
(2)For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), account is to be taken of—
(a)any discrepancy between the number of local government electors and the number of persons that are eligible to be local government electors (as indicated by relevant official statistics), and
(b)any change to the number or distribution of local government electors in the principal area which is likely to take place in the period of five years immediately following the making of any recommendation.
(3)In this section, “relevant official statistics” means such official statistics within the meaning of section 6 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (c. 18) as the Commission considers appropriate.
(4)In this Part, “local government elector” means a person registered as a local government elector in the register of electors in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts.
Textual Amendments
F1S. 30(1) substituted (9.11.2024) by Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 5), ss. 40(2), 72(2)(a) (with s. 55)