{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006/section-51",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006/section-51.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/32",
  "legislation_title": "Government of Wales Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006",
  "path": "section/51",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "51",
  "heading": "Limit on number of Ministers",
  "text": "(1) No more than 17 persons are to hold a relevant Welsh Ministerial office at any time.\n(2) A relevant Welsh Ministerial office means the office of Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 or the office of Deputy Welsh Minister.\n(3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (1) to increase the maximum number of holders of a relevant Welsh Ministerial office—\n(a) from 17 to 18 or 19;\n(b) from 18 to 19.\n(4) The power in subsection (3) may not be used to lower the maximum number (including by revoking regulations made under that subsection).\n(5) A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (3) may not be made unless‍—\n(a) a draft of the instrument has been laid before‍ the Senedd, and\n(b) the number of Members of the Senedd voting in favour of a resolution of the Senedd approving the draft is at least two-thirds of the total number of Senedd seats.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in s. 51(1) substituted (coming into force on the day after the day of the poll for the first general election held after 6.4.2026) by Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (asc 4), ss. 5(a), 25(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 51(3)-(5) inserted (coming into force on the day after the day of the poll for the first general election held after 6.4.2026) by Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (asc 4), ss. 5(b), 25(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Ss. 1-94, 97-106 in force immediately after \"the 2007 election\" by s. 161(1) (subject to s. 161(4)(5))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/32/section/51",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:14:12.769607+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}