For section 64 of the 1972 Act (special community review and review of electoral arrangements) substitute—
(1)As soon as practicable after the ordinary election of councillors for any of the Welsh principal areas held in 1995, the Welsh Commission shall—
(a)review the electoral arrangements for that area with a view to considering future electoral arrangements; and
(b)formulate proposals for those arrangements.
(2)The provisions of Part IV of this Act shall apply to a review under subsection (1) above as they apply to a review under section 57 above.
(3)In its application to a review under subsection (1) above, section 58 above shall have effect as if it required—
(a)the Welsh Commission to submit a report for any principal area before such date as the Secretary of State may direct, and
(b)the Secretary of State to make an order under section 58 above giving effect to the proposals of the Commission under subsection (1) above (whether as submitted to him or with modifications).”
(1)Schedule 11 to the 1972 Act (rules to be observed in considering electoral arrangements) shall be amended as follows.
(2)In paragraph 1 (rules for counties)—
(a)in sub-paragraph (1), at the end add “ but does not apply in relation to any county in Wales ”; and
(b)in sub-paragraph (2)(c) and (d), omit “or community”, in each place.
(3)After paragraph 1 insert—
(1)This paragraph applies to the consideration by the Secretary of State or the Welsh Commission of the electoral arrangements for elections of councillors for principal areas in Wales.
(2)Subject to any direction under sub-paragraph (3) below, the Welsh Commission shall, when considering the arrangements for elections of councillors for any principal area in Wales, provide for there to be a single member for each electoral division.
(3)The Secretary of State may give a direction to the Welsh Commission requiring it to consider the desirability of providing for multi-member electoral divisions for the area to which the direction relates (which may be the whole or a specified part of a principal area in Wales).
(4)For the purposes of this paragraph, an electoral division is a multi-member division if the arrangements made for the elections of councillors provide for a specified number of councillors (greater than one) to be elected for that division.
(5)Having regard to any change in the number or distribution of the local government electors of the principal area likely to take place within the period of five years immediately following the consideration—
(a)subject to paragraph (b), the number of local government electors shall be, as nearly as may be, the same in every electoral division in the principal area;
(b)where there are one or more multi-member divisions, the ratio of the number of local government electors to the number of councillors to be elected shall be, as nearly as may be, the same in every electoral division in the principal area (including any that are not multi-member divisions);
(c)every ward of a community having a community council (whether separate or common) shall lie wholly within a single electoral division; and
(d)every community which is not divided into community wards shall lie wholly within a single electoral division.
(6)Subject to sub-paragraph (5) above, in considering the electoral arrangements referred to in sub-paragraph (1) above, regard shall be had to—
(a)the desirability of fixing boundaries which are and will remain easily identifiable; and
(b)any local ties which would be broken by the fixing of any particular boundary.”
(4)In paragraph 4, after “Commissions” insert “ by a Welsh principal council ”.