(1)If an Assembly member fails, throughout a period of six consecutive months from his last attendance, to attend any meeting of the Assembly, he shall cease to be a member of the Assembly.
(2)A person shall not cease to be a member by virtue of subsection (1) above if the failure to attend is due to some reason approved by the Assembly before the expiry of that period.
(3)For the purposes of this section, an Assembly member shall be deemed to have attended a meeting of the Assembly on any occasion on which he attended—
(a)as a member at a meeting of any committee or sub-committee of the Assembly; or
(b)as a representative of the Assembly or the Authority at a meeting of any body of persons.
(4)A person shall not cease to be a member of the Assembly by reason only of a failure to attend meetings of the Assembly if—
(a)he is a member of any branch of Her Majesty’s naval, military or air forces and is at the time employed during war or any emergency on any naval, military or air force service, or
(b)he is a person whose employment in the service of Her Majesty in connection with war or any emergency is such as, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, to entitle him to relief from disqualification on account of absence,
and the failure to attend is due to that employment.
[F1(5)Any period during which an Assembly member is suspended or partially suspended under section 66, F2[F3... 73, 78 F2... ] or 79 of the Local Government Act 2000 [F4, or suspended under section 31(4) of the Elections Act 2022,] shall be disregarded for the purpose of calculating the period of six consecutive months under subsection (1).]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 6(5) inserted (E.W.) (19.12.2000 for E. and 19.12.2000 for W.(in relation to police authorities) and otherwise 28.7.2001) by 2000 c. 22, ss. 107(1), 108(4), Sch. 5 para. 31; S.I. 2000/3335, art. 2
F2Words in s. 6(5) repealed (1.7.2012 for specified purposes, 22.11.2012 in so far as not already in force) by Localism Act 2011 (c. 20), s. 240(2), Sch. 25 Pt. 5; S.I. 2012/1463, art. 5(d) (with arts. 6, 7) (as amended (3.7.2012) by S.I. 2012/1714, art. 2); S.I. 2012/2913, arts. 1(2), 2(b)(c) (with arts. 3-6)
F3Words in s. 6(5) substituted (1.4.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 201(6), 245(5) (with s. 201); S.I. 2008/172, art. 4(l)
F4Words in s. 6(5) inserted (1.11.2023) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 10 para. 6(2); S.I. 2023/1145, reg. 3(k)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 6(3)(a) applied (7.6.2012) by Localism Act 2011 (c. 20), ss. 35(7), 240(2); S.I. 2012/1463, art. 2(f)