Introduction
112.Part 2 of the Act enables district councils in England in some circumstances to change their scheme for elections where they wish to do so.
113.It requires the Electoral Commission and Boundary Committee in exercising their functions under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1992 to consider whether the number of councillors in a ward of a council which is subject to a scheme for partial-council elections is appropriate. It allows the Boundary Committee to obtain information from local authorities in connection with the discharge of its functions.
114.It also allows a principal council operating whole council elections to make a request to the Electoral Commission in connection with the provision of single-member electoral areas. It allows local authorities to change the names of their electoral areas. It removes the requirement for the number of councillors in a metropolitan district ward to be divisible by 3. Finally, the Secretary of State is given power to make an order that ensures local government elections take place on the same day as European parliamentary general elections in those years where the two elections are scheduled to take place.
Chapter 1: Power of District Councils in England to Change Electoral Scheme
Introductory
Section 31: Schemes for elections
115.Section 31 sets out the schemes for elections that a district council may resolve to be subject to.
