Part 5: Disqualification of offenders for holding elective office etc Schedule 10: Disqualification orders: minor and consequential amendments
Paragraph 1 of Schedule 10 amends the rules for Northern Ireland local elections, as set out in Schedule 5 to the ELA (NI) 1962.
	Sub-paragraph (2) allows Returning Officers (ROs) to hold a nomination paper invalid in those circumstances where an RO is certain, based on information provided or otherwise available to the RO, that a candidate is disqualified by virtue of a disqualification order. This is not a duty or requirement and is very similar to the existing power which ROs already have under UK Parliamentary election rules, which allows them to hold a nomination paper invalid if a candidate is disqualified by virtue of the Representation of the People Act 1981.
	Sub-paragraph (3) makes a small change to the consent to nomination form to include a reference to the disqualification order as a reason why someone might be disqualified for being elected and to ensure that a candidate declares that they are not so disqualified when giving their consent.
	Paragraph 2 of Schedule 10 amends the Local Government Act 1972 ("the 1972 Act"). Section 85(1) of the 1972 Act provides that a local authority member ceases to be a member if they fail to attend a meeting of the authority within a period of six consecutive months. Paragraph 2(2) amends section 85(3A) so as to disregard any period of suspension arising from section 31(4) for the purpose of calculating the six-month consecutive period.
	Paragraph 2 also amends the 1972 Act so that, where a local authority member is disqualified as a result of a disqualification order, their office is vacated on the date determined in accordance with the procedure set out in section 31.
	Paragraph 3 of Schedule 10 amends the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. The amendments are equivalent to the amendments to the Local Government Act 1972 described above.
	Paragraph 4 of Schedule 10 amends the rules for UK Parliamentary elections, as set out in Schedule 1 to the RPA 1983. The amendments are equivalent to the amendment to the rules in Schedule 5 to the ELA (NI) 1962 described above.
	Paragraphs 5 to 7 of Schedule 10 amend the Northern Ireland Act 1998, Greater London Authority Act 1999 and the Government of Wales Act 2006. The amendments relate to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly, the office of the Mayor of London and the Senedd Cymru respectively, and are equivalent to the amendments to the Local Government Act 1972 described above.
	Paragraph 8 of Schedule 10 amends the Armed Forces Act 2006. New sections 236A and 236B of that Act enable a military court or commanding officer sentencing an offender who is subject to service law to impose a disqualification order in the same circumstances as an offender before a civilian criminal court.
	Paragraph 9 of Schedule 10 amends the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. The amendments relate to the office of police and crime commissioner and are equivalent to the amendments to the Local Government Act 1972 described above.
	Paragraph 10 of Schedule 10 includes a reference to the new disqualification order provisions in section 379(1) of the Sentencing Act 2020.