
1 

(1) The title of these Regulations is the Local Government (Standards Committees and Member Conduct) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 5 January 2026.
2 

(1) The Standards Committees (Wales) Regulations 2001 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order insert—“
 “politically restricted post” (“swydd o dan gyfyngiadau gwleidyddol”) has the meaning given by section 2(1), (1A) and (1B) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989;
 “registration officer” (“swyddog cofrestru”) means an officer appointed under section 8(2A) of the Representation of the People Act 1983;
 “senior, cabinet or executive post” (“swydd uwch, swydd gabinet neu swydd weithredol”) means—
(a) a chairman elected under section 22(1) of the Local Government Act 1972;
(b) a vice-chairman appointed under section 24(1) of the Local Government Act 1972;
(c) a presiding member elected under section 24A(2) of the Local Government Act 1972;
(d) a deputy presiding member appointed under section 24B(2) of the Local Government Act 1972;
(e) an elected mayor elected under section 39(1) of the Local Government Act 2000;
(f) a deputy mayor appointed under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 1 to the Local Government Act 2000;
(g) an executive leader elected under section 11(3)(a) of the Local Government Act 2000;
(h) a member of the executive of a local authority appointed under section 11(2)(b) or (3)(b) of the Local Government Act 2000;
(i) an Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair appointed in accordance with section 66 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011;”.
(3) For regulation 6 (previous members of a relevant authority) substitute—“
6. 

(1) A person who has been but is no longer a member of one or more relevant authorities may be an independent member of the standards committee of any relevant authority subject to the following conditions—
(a) any person who has held a senior, cabinet or executive post in one or more relevant authorities must not be an independent member of the standards committee of any relevant authority in which that person held such a post until the expiry of the period of five years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to hold such a post;
(b) any person who was a member of one or more relevant authorities must not be an independent member of the standards committee of any relevant authority of which that person was a member (not holding a senior, cabinet or executive post) until the expiry of the period of two years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to be a member of that authority.
(2) A person who has been but is no longer a member of a corporate joint committee, or a member of a constituent authority or constituent National Park authority of any corporate joint committee, may be an independent member of the standards committee of any corporate joint committee subject to the following conditions—
(a) any person who has held a senior, cabinet or executive post in a constituent authority of a corporate joint committee must not be an independent member of the standards committee of that corporate joint committee until the expiry of the period of five years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to hold such a post;
(b) any person who was a member of a corporate joint committee, or a member of a constituent authority or constituent National Park authority of that corporate joint committee (not holding a senior, cabinet or executive post in the case of a constituent authority), must not be an independent member of the standards committee of that corporate joint committee until the expiry of the period of two years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to be a member of that corporate joint committee, constituent authority or National Park authority.”
(4) For regulation 7 (previous officers of a relevant authority) substitute—“
7. 

(1) A person who has been but is no longer an officer of one or more relevant authorities may be an independent member of the standards committee of any relevant authority, except where paragraph (2) applies.
(2) Where the person referred to in paragraph (1) has held a politically restricted post, or the post of registration officer, in a relevant authority, that person must not be an independent member of the standards committee of any relevant authority in which that person held such a post until the expiry of the period of two years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to hold such a post.
(3) A person who has been but is no longer an officer of a corporate joint committee, or an officer of a constituent authority or constituent National Park authority of any corporate joint committee, may be an independent member of the standards committee of any corporate joint committee, except where paragraph (4) applies.
(4) Where the person referred to in paragraph (3) has held a politically restricted post in any corporate joint committee, or a constituent authority or constituent National Park authority of any corporate joint committee, or has held the post of registration officer in a constituent authority of any corporate joint committee, that person must not be an independent member of the standards committee of that corporate joint committee until the expiry of the period of two years commencing with the date on which that person last ceased to hold such a post.”
3 

(1) The Conduct of Members (Principles) (Wales) Order 2001 is amended as follows.
(2) In article 2 (interpretation)—
(a) in the English text, at the end of the definition of “member”, omit “and”;
(b) in the Welsh text, at the end of the definition of “aelod cyfetholedig”, omit “ac”;
(c) at the appropriate place in alphabetical order, insert—“
 “protected characteristics” (“nodweddion gwarchodedig”) has the meaning given by section 4 of the Equality Act 2010;”.
(3) In the Schedule, in paragraph 7 (equality and respect) for “gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age or religion” substitute “protected characteristics or socio-economic circumstances”.
4 
In the Schedule to the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) (Wales) Order 2008—
(a) in paragraph 1(1), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order insert—“
 “protected characteristics” (“nodweddion gwarchodedig”) has the meaning given by section 4 of the Equality Act 2010;”;
(b) in paragraph 4(a), for “gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age or religion” substitute “protected characteristics or socio-economic circumstances”.
Jayne Bryant
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers
19 November 2025