The Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 2021

Draft Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament under section 17(4)(b)(ii) and (5) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, for approval by resolution of the Scottish Parliament.

Draft Scottish Statutory Instruments

2021 No.

Local Government

The Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 2021

Made

2021

Coming into force

2021

The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 17(4)(b)(ii) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973(1) (“the 1973 Act”) and all other powers enabling them to do so.

These Regulations give effect to proposals contained in a report submitted to the Scottish Ministers by Boundaries Scotland under section 17(1) of the 1973 Act on 28 May 2021, and in accordance with section 20 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018(2). The report has been laid before the Scottish Parliament under section 17(4)(a) of the 1973 Act.

In accordance with section 17(4)(b)(ii) and (5) of the 1973 Act a draft of this instrument has been laid before and approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament.

Citation, commencement and application

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Electoral Arrangements) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

(3) These Regulations apply only for the purposes of an election for which the date of poll is on or after 5 May 2022.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the electoral ward map” for an individual electoral ward described in the table is the map held by Boundaries Scotland(3) marked with the following information—

(a)

the title of these Regulations, and

(b)

the name of the electoral ward,

“the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map” means the map, showing the boundaries of all 11 electoral wards described in the table, which is held by Boundaries Scotland(4) and marked with the following information—

(a)

the title of these Regulations, and

(b)

the words “Map of all electoral wards in Na h-Eileanan an Iar”,

“the table” means the table in the schedule of these Regulations.

(2) In these Regulations, a reference to an electoral ward is a reference to that electoral ward as constituted by these Regulations.

(3) Where a boundary is shown on the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map or the electoral ward map for any electoral ward as running along a road, railway line, footway, watercourse or similar geographical feature, it is to be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Electoral arrangements

3.—(1) The area of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is divided into the 11 electoral wards listed in column 2 of the table.

(2) The number of an electoral ward is as specified in the corresponding entry in column 1 of the table.

(3) The number of councillors to be returned for an electoral ward is as specified in the corresponding entry in column 3 of the table.

(4) The boundaries of all 11 electoral wards described in the table are as shown on the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map .

(5) The boundaries of each electoral ward described in the table are shown in more detail on the electoral ward map for that electoral ward.

Name

A member of the Scottish Government

St Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

Date

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE Electoral wards

Column 1 Number of electoral ward	Column 2 Name of electoral ward	Column 3 Number of councillors to be returned
1	Barraigh agus Bhatarsaigh	2
2	Uibhist a Deas, Èirisgeigh agus Beinn na Faoghla	3
3	Uibhist a Tuath	2
4	Na Hearadh	2
5	Sgìre nan Loch	2
6	Sgìr’ Ùige agus Càrlabhagh	2
7	An Taobh Siar agus Nis	3
8	Loch a Tuath	3
9	Steòrnabhagh a Tuath	4
10	Steòrnabhagh a Deas	4
11	Sgìre an Rubha	2

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations give effect to proposals made by Boundaries Scotland in relation to the future electoral arrangements for the area of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The proposals were made in a report by Boundaries Scotland submitted to the Scottish Ministers under section 17(1) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and in accordance with section 20 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.

The Regulations apply only for the purposes of local government elections held on or after 5 May 2022.

Paragraphs (1) to (3) of regulation 3 divide the area of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar into 11 electoral wards as described in the schedule of the Regulations and specify the number of councillors in each ward as described in the schedule.

Paragraphs (4) and (5) of regulation 3 describe the boundaries of the electoral wards in Na h-Eileanan an Iar by reference to maps held by Boundaries Scotland and marked with specified information. Prints of these maps are available for inspection at Boundaries Scotland’s principal office and on the Boundaries Scotland website. The boundaries of all 11 electoral wards are shown in smaller scale on one map (the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map) while the boundaries of the individual electoral wards are each shown in larger scale on a separate map for each electoral ward. The electoral ward boundaries as shown on the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map and the individual electoral ward map are the same but are shown to different scales.

(1)

1973 c.65. Section 17 was replaced in its entirety by the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), section 31(2).

(2)

2018 asp 12.

(3)

Prints of the electoral ward map for each of the electoral wards described in the table are available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of Boundaries Scotland, Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD. The electoral ward map for each electoral ward is also accessible on the Boundaries Scotland website at www.boundaries.scot.

(4)

Prints of the Na h-Eileanan an Iar area map are available for inspection at reasonable times at the principal office of Boundaries Scotland, Thistle House, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5HD. The map is also accessible on the Boundaries Scotland website at https://bcs-lgbcs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9e69d298c64947628f274bcb0dc39c24.