The Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 and the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026

Made: 5 February 2026

Coming into force: 1 April 2026

The Welsh Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 39 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020[^f00001] and section 20 of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024[^f00002].

Title and coming into force

1

• (1) The title of these Regulations is the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 and the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 1 April 2026.

• (3) Despite the coming into force of these Regulations under regulation 1(2), these Regulations do not have effect in relation to an ordinary general election, or an extraordinary general election, held under Part 1 of the Government of Wales Act 2006[^f00003], the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026.

Amendment of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001

2

• (1) The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001[^f00004] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 98(8) (supply of free copy of full register for electoral purposes and restrictions on use)—

• (a) for “the National Assembly for Wales” substitute “Senedd Cymru”;

• (b) omit “or region”.

• (3) In regulation 103 (supply of full register etc to elected representatives for electoral purposes and restrictions on use)—

• (a) in paragraph (1)(c)—

• (i) for “the National Assembly for Wales” substitute “Senedd Cymru”;

• (ii) omit “or region”;

• (b) in paragraph (2)(a)—

• (i) for “the National Assembly for Wales” substitute “Senedd Cymru”;

• (ii) omit “or region”.

• (4) In regulation 108 (supply of full register etc to certain candidates and restrictions on use)—

• (a) in paragraph (1)(b), for “the National Assembly of Wales” substitute “Senedd Cymru”;

• (b) for paragraph (2) substitute—

(2) In this regulation “candidate” includes a candidate at an election of a mayor under Part II of the Local Government Act 2000.

• (c) in paragraph (3), for “in an electoral region for the National Assembly for Wales” substitute “of Members of the Senedd”.

Amendment of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012

3

• (1) The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012[^f00005] is amended as follows.

• (2) In article 2 (interpretation)—

• (a) in paragraph (1), for the definition of “Senedd election” substitute—

• “Senedd election” means an election to return a member of Senedd Cymru;

• (b) in paragraph (2C), omit “and electoral regions”.

• (3) In Schedule 4 (combination of polls)—

• (a) in paragraph 47(1)(a), in the substituted sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 13 of that Schedule, in paragraph (a), for “and “Senedd electoral region” mean a Senedd constituency or (as the case may be) electoral region” substitute “means a Senedd constituency”;

• (b) in paragraph 49, in the substituted paragraph (3A)(b) of paragraph 19 of that Schedule, omit “or electoral region”.

Amendment of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Functions of Returning Officers) Regulations 2012

4

• (1) The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Functions of Returning Officers) Regulations 2012[^f00006] is amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation)—

• (a) in paragraph (4), for “an Assembly” substitute “a Senedd”;

• (b) for paragraph (5) substitute—

(5) In this regulation— - “the Senedd” means Senedd Cymru, as provided by section 1 of the Government of Wales Act 2006; - “Senedd constituency” means a Senedd constituency, as provided by section 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006; - “Senedd election” means an election to return a member of the Senedd.

Signed

Jayne Bryant — Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers — 5 February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations make minor amendments to secondary legislation, consequential on the renaming of the National Assembly for Wales to Senedd Cymru by section 2 of the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (“the 2020 Act”). Section 39 of the 2020 Act gives the Welsh Ministers power to make supplemental, incidental, saving or consequential provision if they consider it appropriate for the purposes of, in consequence of, or for giving effect to any provision of the 2020 Act. Section 150A of the Government of Wales Act 2006 operates in such a way as to change legally references to the new name of the institution. Leaving references to “the Assembly” or “the National Assembly for Wales” in the provisions being amended in these Regulations may however create confusion for the reader. These amendments are therefore considered appropriate for the purposes of clarity and accessibility of the legislation.

These Regulations make minor amendments to secondary legislation, consequential on changes made to the Senedd electoral system by the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 (“the 2024 Act”), in particular section 2, which abolished Senedd electoral regions. Section 20 of the 2024 Act gives the Welsh Ministers power to make supplemental, incidental, saving or consequential provision if they consider it appropriate for the purposes of, in consequence of, or for giving full effect to any provision of the 2024 Act. The amendments made by these Regulations are considered appropriate for the purposes of clarity and accessibility of the legislation.

Regulation 1 sets out the title and coming into force provisions of these Regulations.

Regulation 2 makes consequential amendments to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001, removing references to electoral regions and amending references from “the National Assembly for Wales” to “Senedd Cymru”.

Regulation 3 makes consequential amendments to the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012, removing references to “electoral regions”.

Regulation 4 makes consequential amendments to the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Functions of Returning Officers) Regulations 2012, removing references to “electoral regions” and amending references from “the National Assembly for Wales” to “Senedd Cymru”.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2020 anaw 1.

[^f00002]: 2024 asc 4.

[^f00003]: 2006 c. 32. The provisions surrounding general elections have been amended by Part 2 of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 to replace the system of voting for Senedd general elections.

[^f00004]: S.I. 2001/341. Regulations 98, 103 and 108 were inserted by regulation 15 of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/1871).

[^f00005]: S.I. 2012/1917. The relevant provisions in article 2 and Schedule 4 to the Order were inserted by articles 2, 3 and 6 of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Amendment) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/300). Regulation 56 of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382) amended the relevant provisions and substituted “Senedd” for “Assembly”.

[^f00006]: S.I. 2012/1918. The relevant paragraphs of regulation 2 were amended by articles 7 and 8 of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Amendment) Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/300).