An overview of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru etc. Act 2013, its passage through the Senedd and subordinate legislation.
Contents
Overview
The Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru etc. Act (‘the 2013 Act’) renames the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales as the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (‘the Commission’) and makes provision about its constitution and functions.
The 2013 Act confers electoral administration functions on the Commission and requires the functions to be exercised by a board established by the Commission called the Electoral Management Board.
The 2013 Act also makes provision about:
- the duties of the Commission to monitor the arrangements for local government and to conduct reviews where appropriate
- the duties of principal councils to monitor the arrangements for the communities in their area and to conduct reviews where appropriate
- the procedure for reviews and the implementation of the recommendations
- Senedd constituency boundary reviews conducted by the Commission
- the review of the membership of certain public bodies
- other matters relating to the conduct of local government in Wales
- the functions of the Commission in deciding on the payments and pensions payable to members and former members of certain authorities (including local authorities)
Detailed commentary on the various provisions of the 2013 Act is available in the Explanatory Notes to the Act as passed on legislation.gov.uk.
See the 2013 Act on legislation.gov.uk
The short title of the 2013 Act (previously the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013) was amended by section 11(1) of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (“the 2024 Act”).
Coming into force
Section 75 of the 2013 Act makes provision about the coming into force of the Act.
See section 75 on legislation.gov.uk.
Sections 1, 70 to 72 (and Schedule 3), and 75 and 76 came into force on 30 July 2013, which is the day the Act received Royal Assent, in accordance with section 75(1).
Parts 2, 3 and 4, sections 51 to 54, 59 to 62, 64 to 67, 73 (and Schedules 1 and 2) and section 74 came into force at the end of the period of 2 months beginning with the day the Act received Royal Assent.
The remaining provisions of the 2013 Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers by order made by Welsh statutory instrument.
The following Orders have been made:
Subordinate legislation made under the Act
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Bill was introduced on 26 November 2012 by Carl Sargeant AM, who was the Minister for Local Government and Communities at the time. Following a change in ministerial portfolios in March 2013, the First Minister authorised Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Local Government and Government Business, as the new Member in Charge of the Bill, from 18 March 2013.
The Bill was passed by Senedd Cymru (then known as National Assembly for Wales) on 18 June 2013.
See further information about the Bill and its passage through the Senedd on senedd.wales.
The Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as amended after Stage 2):
The Act received Royal Assent on 30 July 2013.