{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-and-elections-wales-act-2021/section-138",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-and-elections-wales-act-2021/section-138.json",
  "legislation": "asc/2021/1",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-and-elections-wales-act-2021",
  "path": "section/138",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "138",
  "heading": "Reviews of electoral arrangements",
  "text": "(1) The Welsh Ministers may direct the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru to conduct an initial review of electoral arrangements after the Welsh Ministers—\n(a) receive a merger application, or\n(b) give notice as described in section 129(6).\n(2) Before giving a direction under subsection (1) the Welsh Ministers must consult—\n(a) the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, and\n(b) such persons representing principal councils as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.\n(3) A direction under subsection (1) to conduct an initial review in relation to a proposal to transfer part of a principal area to be abolished to another principal area, or in relation to restructuring regulations which provide for such a transfer—\n(a) must specify the area (which may be all or part of a principal area) that is to be subject to the initial review, and\n(b) may specify that one or more matters of a kind described in sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) are not to be considered in the initial review; and those matters are—\n(i) matters set out in the definition of “electoral arrangements” in paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 1;\n(ii) matters set out in the definition of “relevant consequential changes” in that paragraph.\n(4) A direction under subsection (1) must specify the voting system in relation to which the electoral arrangements are to be reviewed.\n(5) Schedule 1 makes provision in relation to initial reviews conducted by virtue of this section.\n(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 138(1) substituted (25.6.2024) by Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (asc 4), s. 25(1)(a), Sch. 1 para. 49(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 138(2)(a) substituted (25.6.2024) by Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (asc 4), s. 25(1)(a), Sch. 1 para. 49(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 138(6) omitted (9.11.2024) by virtue of Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 5), ss. 41(4), 72(2)(a) (with s. 55)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 138(1)(a)(2) in force at 21.1.2021, see s. 175(1)(f)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 138(4)-(6) in force at 21.1.2021, see s. 175(1)(f)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I3",
      "text": "S. 138(1)(b)(3) in force at 1.4.2021 by S.I. 2021/297, art. 2(d)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2021/1/section/138",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:17:57.648401+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."
}