
1 

(1) These Rules may be cited as the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (Amendment) Rules 1998 and shall come into force on 7th April 1998.
(2) These Rules do not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
2 
In these Rules “the 1986 Rules” means the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986.
3 

(1) In rule 4 (interpretation) of the 1986 Rules—
(a) before the words “a county or district” there shall be inserted “, in England,”, and
(b) after those words, there shall be inserted “and, in Wales, a county or county borough”.
(2) At the end of that rule, there shall be inserted the following paragraph:“
(2) Any reference in these Rules to a district shall be construed as a reference to a county in the case of a county in which there are no district councils.”.
4 
In rules 5 (application of rules in Schedule 2) and 6 (application of modifications in Schedule 3) of the 1986 Rules, for the words “section 36(3)”, in each place where they occur (including the heading to rule 6), there shall be substituted “section 36(3), (3AB) or (3AC)”.
5 
In rule 8(1) (filling of casual vacancies) of the 1986 Rules, for the words “or community is situate” there shall be substituted “is situate or the county or county borough in which the community is situate”.
6 

(1) Schedule 2 (local elections rules) to the 1986 Rules shall be amended as follows.
(2) In rule 17(1)(a) (use of schools) of the rules in that Schedule, after the word “authority” there shall be inserted “, a grant-maintained school”.
(3) In rule 44(1)(b) and (2)(b) (declaration of result) of those rules for the words “district in which the parish or community is situate” there shall be substituted “council of the district in which the parish is situate or the county or county borough in which the community is situate”.
(4) In rules 46 (delivery of documents), 47(1)(a) (orders for production of documents) and 48(1) (retention and public inspection of documents) of those rules, for the words “or community is situate” there shall be substituted “is situate or the county or county borough in which the community is situate”.
(5) In rule 48(2) and (3) for the words “district council” there shall be substituted “council referred to in paragraph (1) above”.
7 

(1) Schedule 3 (modifications of rules where polls are combined under section 36(3), (3AB) or (3AC) of the Representation of the People Act 1983) to the 1986 Rules shall be amended as follows.
(2) In the heading to that Schedule, for the words from “SECTION” to “REPRESENTATION”, there shall be substituted “SECTION 36(3), (3AB) or (3AC) OF THE REPRESENTATION”.
(3) In the notice required to be exhibited under rule 23(5), as substituted by paragraph 4 of Schedule 3, for the word “district” there shall be substituted “principal area”.
(4) In the modifications made by paragraph 20(a) of Schedule 3, after the word “*district” there shall be inserted “/*county/*county borough”.
8 
In the words added by paragraph 22(a) of Schedule 4 (modifications where polls are combined under section 15(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1985) to the 1986 Rules, after the word “district” there shall be inserted “/*county borough”.
George Howarth
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Home Office
4th March 1998