# The Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2021 S.S.I. 2021/124 · made 8 March 2021 These Regulations bring into force sections 2, 4 and 28 to 33 of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (“the Act”), together with the Schedule of the Act, on 14 May 2021. Made under: Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (Section 35) PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-elections-reform-act-2020-commencement-no-2-and-saving-provision-regulations-2021/pdf/ssi_20210124_en.pdf; Policy Note https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-elections-reform-act-2020-commencement-no-2-and-saving-provision-regulations-2021/pdf/ssipn_20210124_en.pdf ## Introductory text Representation Of The People Made 8th March 2021 Laid before the Scottish Parliament 10th March 2021 Coming into force 14th May 2021 The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 35(2) and (3) of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020. ## 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2021 and come into force on 14 May 2021. (2) In these Regulations— “the 1973 Act” means the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, “the 2020 Act” means the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020. ## 2 Appointed Day 14 May 2021 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the provisions of the 2020 Act specified in column 1 of the table in the schedule (the subject matter of which is specified in column 2 of that table). ## 3 Saving Provision (1) This Regulation applies to an order made under section 17 of the 1973 Act which— (a) was made prior to the commencement of section 31 of the 2020 Act, and (b) remained in force immediately before the commencement of section 31 of the 2020 Act. (2) An order to which this Regulation applies remains in force despite the substitution of section 17 of the 1973 Act by section 31 of the 2020 Act. ## Signature GRAEME DEY Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh 8th March 2021 ## Table Column 1 Provisions of the 2020 Act Column 2 Subject Matter Section 2 Dates of Scottish local government elections Section 4 Electoral wards: number of councillors Section 28 Boundaries Scotland Section 29 Reviews of local government wards and number of councillors Section 30 Changes to boundaries of parliamentary constituencies: procedure Section 31 Changes to local government areas or electoral arrangements: procedure Section 32 Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries: timing of first report Section 33 Publishing of proposals affecting Scottish Parliament constituencies Schedule Boundaries Scotland: modification of enactments ## Explanatory note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations bring into force sections 2, 4 and 28 to 33 of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (“the Act”), together with the Schedule of the Act, on 14 May 2021. Section 2 of the Act includes provision for Scottish local government elections to be held every five years. Section 4 of the Act includes provision that local government electoral wards can comprise between 2 and 5 councillors. Sections 28 to 33 of the Act re-name the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland as Boundaries Scotland and confer powers on Boundaries Scotland to make proposals in relation to electoral areas and arrangements. The Scottish Ministers are then obliged to give effect to those proposals. Sections 28 to 33 also make a number of associated procedural changes. The Schedule of the Act makes a number of consequential amendments to various enactments. The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 8 July 2020. Part 5 of the Act came into force on the following day. --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/124 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-elections-reform-act-2020-commencement-no-2-and-saving-provision-regulations-2021 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.