The Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2021
Citation, commencement and interpretation1.
(1)
These Regulations may be cited as the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2021 and come into force on 14 May 2021.
(2)
In these Regulations—
“the 2020 Act” means the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020.
Appointed Day2.
14 May 2021 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the 2020 Act specified in column 1 of the table in the schedule (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that table).
Saving Provision3.
(1)
This Regulation applies to an order made under section 17 of the 1973 Act which—
(a)
was made prior to the commencement of section 31 of the 2020 Act, and
(b)
remained in force immediately before the commencement of section 31 of the 2020 Act.
(2)
An order to which this Regulation applies remains in force despite the substitution of section 17 of the 1973 Act by section 31 of the 2020 Act.
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
SCHEDULE
Column 1 Provisions of the 2020 Act | Column 2 Subject Matter |
|---|---|
Section 2 | Dates of Scottish local government elections |
Section 4 | Electoral wards: number of councillors |
Section 28 | Boundaries Scotland |
Section 29 | Reviews of local government wards and number of councillors |
Section 30 | Changes to boundaries of parliamentary constituencies: procedure |
Section 31 | Changes to local government areas or electoral arrangements: procedure |
Section 32 | Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries: timing of first report |
Section 33 | Publishing of proposals affecting Scottish Parliament constituencies |
Schedule | Boundaries Scotland: modification of enactments |
These Regulations bring into force sections 2, 4 and 28 to 33 of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (“the Act”), together with the Schedule of the Act, on 14 May 2021.
Section 2 of the Act includes provision for Scottish local government elections to be held every five years. Section 4 of the Act includes provision that local government electoral wards can comprise between 2 and 5 councillors. Sections 28 to 33 of the Act re-name the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland as Boundaries Scotland and confer powers on Boundaries Scotland to make proposals in relation to electoral areas and arrangements. The Scottish Ministers are then obliged to give effect to those proposals. Sections 28 to 33 also make a number of associated procedural changes. The Schedule of the Act makes a number of consequential amendments to various enactments.
The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 8 July 2020. Part 5 of the Act came into force on the following day.
The following provisions of the Act have been brought into force by commencement regulations made before the date of these Regulations.