# The Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2014, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 (“the 1990 Regulations”) made under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (“the 1989 Act”).
The amendments apply in relation to Wales.
Section 15 of the 1989 Act sets out the rules of political balance that apply to committees and sub-committees of a local authority. Regulation 16A of the 1990 Regulations provides for an exception to the duty under section 15 to allocate to particular political groups seats on certain committees and sub-committees of a local authority established exclusively to discharge functions or advise in respect of part of the area of the authority (“area committees”).
These Regulations are made under Schedule 1 to the 1989 Act and insert for Wales new regulation 16AA into the 1990 Regulations which sets out the conditions to be satisfied in Wales for the exception for area committees to apply. The exception now applies where a committee or sub-committee is established exclusively to discharge functions or to advise in respect of part of the area of the authority and where that area of that part does not exceed one-half of the total area of the authority or the population of that part does not exceed one-half of the total population of the area. In addition, that part must consist of one or more electoral divisions and all the members of the authority who are elected for that electoral division (or those electoral divisions) (and only those members) are entitled to be members of the area committee or sub-committee.
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 and Communities Department, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2014/476/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-committees-and-political-groups-amendment-wales-regulations-2014/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.