Commentary on Provisions Part 9: Boundaries Section 62 – Boundaries Scotland: changing date of next review of local government wards and number of councillors
187.Section 62(2) amends section 14 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (“the 1973 Act”) so that any review by Boundaries Scotland of local government areas must be completed no less than 18 months before the date of the next normally scheduled election.
188.Before the Act the first report of Boundaries Scotland on the electoral arrangements for a local government area under section 16(2A) of the 1973 Act was to be submitted by no later than 31 December 2028. Section 62(3)(a) changes that so that the report must be submitted by no later than 31 October 2030. Section 62(3)(b) adds a new subsection (4) to section 16 of the 1973 Act, applying to subsequent reports by Boundaries Scotland. It provides that reports on reviews of the electoral arrangements for a local government area under section 16(2A)(b) (or proposals made to the Scottish Ministers under section 16(3) regarding substantial changes to those arrangements) may not be made during any period which is 18 months before the date of the each normally scheduled local government election.