Commentary on Sections Part 2: Parliamentary constituencies Section 13: National Assembly for Wales
57.Section 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 specifies that the National Assembly for Wales constituencies are the parliamentary constituencies in Wales. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 13 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 amend that section to provide that the Assembly constituencies are the constituencies specified in the Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006, as amended. The effect is that any future changes to Parliamentary constituencies made under the new rules introduced by this Act (see sections 10 to 12) would not change Assembly constituencies.
58.Subsections (3) to (8) make transitional provision to deal with interim reviews of constituencies in Wales which are ongoing or have not been implemented at the time when Part 2 of the Act comes into force. Where the Boundary Commission for Wales has informed the Secretary of State or Lord President of the Council of its intention to consider making a report on any constituency in Wales but has not delivered it at the time Part 2 of the Act comes into force, the Commission may give notice in writing to the Secretary of State or Lord President of the Council of its intention to proceed with the report and must then comply with the requirements which applied before the coming into force of Part 2 of the Act. Where the Commission has delivered a report recommending alterations to constituencies but no Order giving effect to its recommendations has been made, an Order must be laid before Parliament in accordance with the previous requirements. Such an Order will affect National Assembly for Wales constituencies (and, where appropriate, electoral regions) but not parliamentary constituencies.