2.—(1) The principal Act is amended as follows.
(2) In section 50 (local government boundaries) for subsections (1) and (2) substitute—
“(1) The Department shall appoint a Local Government Boundaries Commissioner—
(a)in the year 2008; and
(b)thereafter, during the period not less than 8 or more than 12 years from the date of the submission under subsection (6) of the final report of the last previous Commissioner appointed under this subsection.
(2) The function of a Commissioner appointed under subsection (1)(a) shall be to make recommendations regarding—
(a)the boundaries and names of the 11 districts mentioned in section 1 of the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008; and
(b)the number, boundaries and names of the wards into which each district is to be divided.”.
(3) In Schedule 4 (provisions relating to the Commissioner)—
(a)for paragraph 3(2)(c) substitute—
“(c)the Chief Survey Officer of Land and Property Services; and”;
(b)for paragraph 6(2)(b) substitute—
“(b)that he will in due course publish provisional recommendations and cause a public hearing to be held in each of the 11 districts mentioned in section 1 of the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.”;
(c)for paragraph 18 substitute—
“18.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3)—
(a)in the district of Belfast the number of wards shall be 60;
(b)in each other district the number of wards shall be 40.
(2) Where, having regard to the matters mentioned in paragraph 17, the Commissioner considers it desirable that the number of wards in any district should be more than that specified in sub-paragraph (1), the number of wards in that district may be increased by not more than 5.
(3) Where, having regard to the matters mentioned in paragraph 17, the Commissioner considers it desirable that the number of wards in any district should be fewer than that specified in sub-paragraph (1), the number of wards in that district may be decreased by not more than 5.”.