Section 1 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 imposes a duty on a local authority (a county council or a county borough council), in accordance with regulations, to conduct a survey after each ordinary election to the council of the county or county borough and to each community council (normally held concurrently every four years) in the local authority’s area.

A local authority must conduct the survey by asking prescribed questions of councillors and unsuccessful candidates who have stood for election as councillors in the local authority’s area.

These Regulations prescribe the questions that a local authority must ask when conducting a local election survey. The prescribed questions and the form in which they may be asked are set out in the Schedule to the Regulations.

The prescribed questions relate to gender, sexual orientation, language, race, age, disability, religion or belief, health, education and qualifications, employment, work as a councillor, party affiliation, involvement with the third sector and length of political activity.

These Regulations prescribe that the survey information must be collated in an electronic spreadsheet. Details relating to the spreadsheet will be included in guidance.

In addition, these Regulations prescribe that the manner in which the collated information must be provided to the Welsh Ministers is by electronic spreadsheet.