28Pay policy statements
(1)A transition committee established by merging authorities must publish recommendations as to the pay policy statements to be prepared by the shadow authority for the principal area into which their principal areas are to be merged.
(2)The recommendations must be published no later than 42 days before the date on which the shadow authority is established or on which elections to the shadow authority take place.
(3)A shadow authority must prepare and approve (and may amend) a pay policy statement in accordance with sections 38(2) to (5) and 39(1), (4) and (5) of the Localism Act 2011—
(a)for the period beginning with the approval of the pay policy statement and ending immediately before the transfer date, and
(b)for the first financial year in which there will be a principal local authority for the new principal area.
(4)No chief officer (within the meaning of section 43(2) of the Localism Act 2011) may be appointed or designated by the shadow authority until the pay policy statement under subsection (3)(a) has been prepared and approved.
(5)Sections 38(2) to (5) and 39(1), (4) and (5), 41(1) and (2) and 42(1) and (2) of the Localism Act 2011 apply accordingly but as if the shadow authority were a relevant authority and the period mentioned in subsection (3)(a) were a financial year.
(6)The Welsh Ministers may issue guidance about the performance of duties imposed by this section and transition committees and shadow authorities must, when performing duties imposed by this section, have regard to any such guidance issued.