The Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

Made: 12 February 2026

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 20(7)(b) of Schedule 7 to the Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order 2025[^f00001] (“the 2025 Order”) make the following Order.

The Electoral Commission prepared a draft of the Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (“Code of Practice”) in accordance with paragraph 20(1) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order and, in accordance with paragraph 20(2) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order, submitted it to the Welsh Ministers for approval.

The Welsh Ministers approved the draft Code of Practice without modifications in accordance with paragraph 20(3) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order, and the draft Code of Practice was laid before Senedd Cymru on 15 December 2025, in accordance with paragraph 20(4) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order.

No resolution of the kind mentioned in paragraph 20(6) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order was made by Senedd Cymru within 40 days of the draft Code of Practice being laid.

The Code of Practice was issued, in the form of the draft laid before the Senedd, by the Welsh Ministers under paragraph 20(7)(a) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order and the Code of Practice will be published by the Electoral Commission under paragraph 20(7)(c) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order.

Title and interpretation

1

• (1) The title of this Order is the Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026.

• (2) In this Order, “the Code of Practice” means the Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025, a draft of which was laid before the Senedd on 15 December 2025.

Appointed day and transitional provisions

2

• (1) The day appointed for the coming into force of the Code of Practice is 18 February 2026.

• (2) Despite the coming into force of the Code of Practice under paragraph (1), the Code of Practice does not have effect in relation to—

• (a) a general election the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026;

• (b) a Senedd returned at a general election the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026;

• (c) the return of a member to a Senedd mentioned in sub-paragraph (b), at a general election or otherwise[^f00002].

Signed

Jayne Bryant — Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers — 12 February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order appoints 18 February 2026 as the day on which the Individual Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2025 (“Code of Practice”) comes into force.

The Code of Practice replaces the Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2021, for elections to Senedd Cymru held after the 6 April 2026. The Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2021 (Appointed Day) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/264 (W. 70)), which appointed a day for the Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2021 to come into force, was revoked, subject to certain savings, on 18 July 2025 by the Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/864 (W. 150)) (“2025 Order”).

The Electoral Commission prepared the draft Code of Practice and, in accordance with paragraph 20(2) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order, submitted it to the Welsh Ministers for approval. The Welsh Ministers have approved the draft Code of Practice without modifications, and the draft Code of Practice was laid before Senedd Cymru on 15 December 2025.

No resolution to not approve the draft Code of Practice was made by Senedd Cymru and as a result, the Welsh Ministers make this Order to appoint the day for the Code of Practice to come into force.

The Code of Practice was issued by the Welsh Ministers under paragraph 20(7)(a) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order and the Code of Practice will be published by the Electoral Commission under paragraph 20(7)(c) of Schedule 7 to the 2025 Order.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: S.I. 2025/864 (W. 150).

[^f00002]: S.I. 2021/264 (W. 70) appointed a day for the Candidate Election Expenses (Senedd Elections) Code of Practice 2021 to come into force. S.I. 2021/264 was revoked on 18 July 2025 by S.I. 2025/864 (W. 150), see article 1(3) and paragraph 9 of Schedule 12, but in accordance with article 1(4) and (5) of S.I. 2025/864, S.I. 2021/264 continues to have effect in relation to members returned to Senedd Cymru at a general election, the poll for which is held on or before 6 April 2026.