The General Power of Competence (Commercial Purpose) (Conditions) (Wales) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 24 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (“the Act”) confers a general power of competence on principal councils and eligible community councils. In particular, the general power of competence confers on those authorities a power to do certain things for a commercial purpose.

The power to do things for a commercial purpose is subject to conditions set out in section 27 of the Act. Under section 27(2), the exercise of the general power for a commercial purpose must be done through a company.

Section 28(4) of the Act provides a power for the Welsh Ministers to provide, by regulations, for the exercise of the general power to be subject to additional conditions.

Regulation 2 prescribes additional conditions that a principal council must meet before exercising the general power of competence to do things for a commercial purpose.

Regulation 3 requires a principal council to publish any business case approved in accordance with regulation 2(1)(b) as soon as reasonably practicable.

Regulation 4 requires a principal council to recover any costs incurred by it in anything it supplies to a company through which the general power is exercised for a commercial purpose, from that company.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the Local Government Democracy Division, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.