The Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) (Amendment) Order 2023

Made: 23rd February 2023

Laid before Parliament: 24th February 2023

Coming into force: 27th February 2023

The Secretary of State makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 26 of the Welsh Language Act 1993[^f00001], as applied by section 22 of the Representation of the People Act 1985[^f00002].

Citation, commencement, extent and savings

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) (Amendment) Order 2023 and comes into force on 27th February 2023.

• (2) This Order extends to England and Wales.

• (3) Article 2 does not apply in relation to—

• (a) a parliamentary general election to which paragraph 18 of Schedule 1 to the Elections Act 2022[^f00003] does not apply;

• (b) an election in respect of which the date of poll as specified in the notice of election published in accordance with rule 5 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983[^f00004] is on or before 3rd May 2023.

Amendment of the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) Order 2007

2

• (1) The Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) Order 2007[^f00005] is amended as follows.

• (2) In article 6 (Welsh and English versions of prescribed forms and a form of words), in paragraph (1)—

• (a) in the opening words for “(a) to (s)” substitute “(a) to (t)”;

• (b) in sub-paragraph (t), for “ballet” substitute “ballot”.

• (3) In Schedule 2 (Welsh and English versions of prescribed forms and a form of words), for Form 7 (official proxy poll card) substitute the new form set out in the Schedule to this Order.

Amendment of the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) (Amendment) Order 2022

3

In the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) (Amendment) Order 2022[^f00006]—

• (a) omit article 2(4)(a)(v);

• (b) in Schedule 2, omit Form 7.

SCHEDULE — New Welsh and English version of prescribed form of official proxy poll card

Form 7: Official proxy poll card (to be sent to an appointed proxy voting in person)

Front of form

Rear of form

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Lee Rowley — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities — 23rd February 2023

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order amends the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1014) (“the 2007 Order”) to correct errors identified in the Parliamentary Elections (Welsh Forms) (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1402) (“the 2022 Order”) by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments in their Twenty-Sixth Report of Session 2022-23 (the report can be viewed at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/33949/documents/186164/default/).

Article 2 (2) amends article 6(1) of the 2007 Order to insert a reference to sub-paragraph (t), which was inserted by the 2022 Order, and to correct a typographical error in that sub-paragraph.

Article 2 (3) substitutes an updated version of the prescribed form of the Welsh and English version of the official proxy poll card for use in relation to parliamentary elections in Wales. This updated version replaces the version set out in Schedule 2 to the 2022 Order, which did not contain all the information contained in the English version.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1993 c. 38. See section 27(4) for the meaning of “the appropriate Minister”.

[^f00002]: 1985 c. 50. Section 22 was substituted by section 35(5) of the Welsh Language Act 1993.

[^f00003]: 2022 c. 37. See regulation 3(1)(b) of S.I. 2022/1401 as to the application of paragraph 18 of Schedule 1 with respect to parliamentary general elections.

[^f00004]: 1983 c. 2. Rule 5 was amended by paragraph 74 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 1985, by paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 6 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2), and by section 19(3) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22).

[^f00005]: S.I. 2007/1014; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2015/803, 2022/1402.

[^f00006]: S.I. 2022/1402.