Commentary on provisions of Act
Section 1: Early parliamentary general election
- Section 1 provides for a parliamentary general election to be held on 12 December 2019. This is to be treated as a polling day appointed under section 2(7) of the 2011 Act.
- Subsection (3) provides that the early parliamentary general election is to be treated as taking place in accordance with section 2 of the 2011 Act for the purposes of the specified provisions in the two listed Acts (section 96A(9) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, and section 23(8) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015). In respect of the former, the provision has the effect of disapplying a requirement to review the benefit cap 'in each Parliament'. In respect of the latter, the provision has the effect of amending the time for compliance with certain reporting requirements. The amendments are necessary in order that the periods specified for the review and reporting requirements will work correctly given the changes to the period of the Parliament that will result from the holding of an early parliamentary general election.
- Subsection (4) amends the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001 to align the registration deadline for Scotland with the registration deadline in the rest of the United Kingdom by discounting the St. Andrew’s Day bank holiday from the registration timetable.
Section 2: Commencement and short title
- Section 2 provides that the Act will come into force on the day it is passed and deals with its short title.
