Page:Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 (UKPGA 2020-25).pdf/11

 Current reports and reviews

10 Removal of duty to implement etc. in relation to current reports

(1) Any duty of the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office under section 3(5A) of the 1986 Act to lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council for giving effect to the recommendations in current reports of the Boundary Commissions is to be treated as having ceased to have effect on 24 March 2020.

(2) Any other duties, or any powers, of the Secretary of State, the Minister for the Cabinet Office or any other person under the 1986 Act in relation to a current report of a Boundary Commission are to be treated as having ceased to have effect, or as having ceased to be exercisable, on 24 March 2020.

(3) A report of a Boundary Commission is “current” if, immediately before 24 March 2020—

(a) the report has been submitted to the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office under section 3(1) of the 1986 Act, but

(b) no Order in Council under that Act has been made for giving effect to the recommendations in it.

11 Removal of duty to review reduction in number of constituencies

(1) Omit section 14 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 (duty to review reduction in number of constituencies to 600).

(2) That repeal is to be treated as having come into force on 31 May 2020.

Northern Ireland Assembly constituencies

12 Effect of Orders in Council under the 1986 Act on NI Assembly constituencies

(1) Section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Assembly constituencies and numbers of members) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (3) (effect on Assembly constituencies of Orders in Council under the 1986 Act), for paragraph (a) substitute—

“(a) the first election under section 31 or 32 for which the notice of election, which is required to be published under Assembly Election Rules, is published—

(i) on a day after the end of the period of six months beginning with the day on which the Order comes into force, or

(ii) if sooner, on or after the day on which Parliament is dissolved prior to the first parliamentary general election in relation to which the Order has effect; and”.

(3) After subsection (3) insert—

“(4) In subsection (3), “Assembly Election Rules” means the rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983, as applied by Article 3 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2599).”