Commentary on Sections Part 1: Elections Paragraph 5 - Conduct of initial review
72.Paragraph 5 requires that when undertaking an initial review, the Boundary Commission must try to ensure that the ratio of local government electors to elected members for the area under review remains, as much as it can, the same in every electoral ward of the council in question; the aim is that each elected member in the council in question represents approximately the same number of electors. The Boundary Commission must take account of any discrepancy between the number of people registered to vote and the number who are eligible to be local government electors, and any change in the distribution of local government electors which is likely to take place in the five years immediately after they make their recommendations.
73.The Boundary Commission must also have regard to setting boundaries for electoral wards which are, and will remain, easily identifiable, and avoid breaking local ties.
74.For the purposes of an initial review, the Welsh Ministers are able to direct the principal council for the area being reviewed or a community council in an area under review to provide the Boundary Commission with any information which the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.