Law

Government of Wales Act 1998

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2026-04-01, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 191 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 The Assembly.
  3. 2 Membership.
  4. 3 Time of ordinary elections.
  5. 4 Voting at ordinary elections.
  6. 5 Party lists and individual candidates.
  7. 6 Calculation of electoral region figures.
  8. 7 Return of electoral region members.
  9. 8 Constituency seats.
  10. 9 Electoral region seats.
  11. 10 Entitlement to vote.
  12. 11 Power to make provision about elections etc.
  13. 12 Disqualification from being Assembly member.
  14. 13 Exceptions and relief from disqualification.
  15. 14 Effect of disqualification.
  16. 15 Judicial proceedings as to disqualification.
  17. 16 Salaries and allowances.
  18. 17 Limit on salaries of members of other public bodies.
  19. 18 Pensions etc.
  20. 19 Publication of information about remuneration paid.
  21. 20 Oath or affirmation of allegiance.
  22. 21 Introductory.
  23. 22 Transfer of Ministerial functions.
  24. 23 General transfer of property, rights and liabilities etc.
  25. 24 General transfer: supplementary.
  26. 25 Power to make specific transfers etc.
  27. 26 Transfers of property: supplementary.
  28. 27 Reform of Welsh health authorities.
  29. 28 Reform of other Welsh public bodies.
  30. 29 Implementation of Community law.
  31. 30 Consultation about public appointments.
  32. 31 Consultation about government’s legislative programme.
  33. 32 Support of culture etc.
  34. 33 Consideration of matters affecting Wales.
  35. 34 Staff.
  36. 34A Assistance to groups of Assembly members.
  37. 35 Inquiries.
  38. 36 Polls for ascertaining views of the public.
  39. 37 Private bills.
  40. 38 Legal proceedings.
  41. 39 Contracts.
  42. 40 Supplementary powers.
  43. 41 Agency arrangements and provision of services.
  44. 41A Co-operation with the Auditor General for Wales
  45. 42 Different exercise of functions by Assembly.
  46. 43 Construction of references to Ministers and departments.
  47. 44 Parliamentary procedures for subordinate legislation.
  48. 45 Laying of reports and statements.
  49. 46 Regulation of procedure.
  50. 47 Equal treatment of English and Welsh languages.
  51. 48 Equal opportunities in conduct of business.
  52. 49 First meeting.
  53. 50 First standing orders.
  54. 51 The Commissioners.
  55. 52 Presiding officer and deputy.
  56. 53 Assembly First Secretary and Assembly Secretaries.
  57. 54 Committees.
  58. 55 Sub-committees.
  59. 56 Executive committee.
  60. 57 Subject committees.
  61. 58 Subordinate legislation scrutiny committee.
  62. 59 Members of scrutiny committee etc.
  63. 60 Audit Committee.
  64. 61 Regional committees.
  65. 62 Delegation of functions.
  66. 63 Exercise of functions by Assembly staff.
  67. 64 Standing orders to provide procedures.
  68. 65 Regulatory appraisals.
  69. 66 Making of Assembly general subordinate legislation.
  70. 67 Disapplication of procedural requirements.
  71. 68 Financial initiative.
  72. 69 Preservation of order.
  73. 70 Openness.
  74. 71 Participation of Assembly members.
  75. 72 Integrity.
  76. 73 Publication.
  77. 74 Power to require attendance and production of documents.
  78. 75 Witnesses and documents: supplementary.
  79. 76 Attendance of Secretary of State for Wales.
  80. 77 Defamation.
  81. 78 Contempt of court.
  82. 79 Corrupt practices.
  83. 80 Grants to Assembly.
  84. 81 Statement of estimated payments etc.
  85. 82 Loans to Assembly by Secretary of State.
  86. 83 Accounts relating to loans under section 82.
  87. 84 Destination of receipts etc.
  88. 85 Expenditure by Assembly.
  89. 86 Statement of proposed expenditure etc.
  90. 87 National Loans Fund lending.
  91. 88 Accounts relating to funds paid to Assembly for lending.
  92. 89 Source of sums paid by Assembly.
  93. 90 Auditor General for Wales.
  94. 91 Remuneration.
  95. 92 Staff etc.
  96. 93 Expenses and accounts.
  97. 93A Fees
  98. 94 Audit of Auditor General’s accounts.
  99. 94A Accounting officer
  100. 95 Access to documents by Auditor General
  101. 96 Auditor General for Wales: miscellaneous.
  102. 96A Reports in public interest
  103. 96B Certification of claims, returns etc.
  104. 96C Ancillary powers of Auditor General
  105. 97 Preparation and audit of Assembly’s annual accounts.
  106. 98 Accounting officers.
  107. 99 Accounts of Assembly subsidiaries etc.
  108. 100 Examinations into Assembly’s use of resources.
  109. 101 Examinations by Comptroller and Auditor General.
  110. 101A Whole of Government of Wales accounts.
  111. 102 Audit Committee reports.
  112. 103 Publication of accounts and audit reports etc.
  113. 104 Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales or Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru.
  114. 105 Forestry Commissioners.
  115. 106 Community law.
  116. 107 Human rights.
  117. 108 International obligations.
  118. 109 Resolution of devolution issues.
  119. 110 Power to vary retrospective decisions.
  120. 111 Welsh Administration Ombudsman.
  121. 112 Amendments of Health Service Commissioners Act 1993.
  122. 113 Relations with local government.
  123. 114 Relations with voluntary organisations.
  124. 115 Consultation with business.
  125. 116 Status of Welsh public records.
  126. 117 Transfer of responsibility.
  127. 118 Meaning of “Welsh public records”.
  128. 119 Publication and inspection of documents.
  129. 120 Equality of opportunity.
  130. 121 Sustainable development.
  131. 122 English and Welsh texts of Assembly instruments.
  132. 123 Provision of information to Treasury.
  133. 124 Documentary evidence.
  134. 125 Minor and consequential amendments.
  135. 126 Extension of functions.
  136. 127 Land acquisition and disposal etc.
  137. 128 Other amendments.
  138. 129 Cessation of functions.
  139. 130 Transfer of property, staff etc. to Welsh Development Agency.
  140. 131 Transitional provisions.
  141. 132 Winding-down.
  142. 133 Abolition etc.
  143. 134 Cessation of functions.
  144. 135 Consequential amendments.
  145. 136 Transfer of property, staff etc. to Welsh Development Agency.
  146. 137 Transitional provisions.
  147. 138 Winding-down.
  148. 139 Abolition etc.
  149. 140 Transfer of functions, property, staff etc. to Secretary of State.
  150. 141 Transitional provisions.
  151. 142 Winding-down.
  152. 143 Abolition etc.
  153. 144 Accounts, audit and reports.
  154. 145 Examinations into use of resources.
  155. 145A Studies for improving economy etc in services
  156. 145B Studies at request of educational bodies
  157. 145C Studies relating to registered social landlords
  158. 145D Advice and assistance for registered social landlords
  159. 146 Transfer etc. of functions of Comptroller and Auditor General.
  160. 146A Transfer etc of functions of Welsh Ministers
  161. 147 Environment Agency.
  162. 148 Health Authorities.
  163. 149 Agricultural wages committees.
  164. 150 Abolition of Residuary Body for Wales.
  165. 151 Power to amend enactments.
  166. 152 Repeals.
  167. 153 Transitional provisions etc.
  168. 154 Orders and directions.
  169. 155 Interpretation.
  170. 156 Defined expressions.
  171. 157 Financial provisions.
  172. 158 Commencement.
  173. 159 Short title.
  174. SCHEDULE 1
  175. SCHEDULE 2
  176. SCHEDULE 3
  177. SCHEDULE 4 Public bodies subject to reform by Assembly
  178. SCHEDULE 5
  179. SCHEDULE 6 Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales or Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru
  180. SCHEDULE 7 Forestry Commissioners
  181. SCHEDULE 8
  182. SCHEDULE 9
  183. SCHEDULE 10 Amendments of Health Service Commissioners Act 1993
  184. SCHEDULE 11
  185. SCHEDULE 12 Minor and consequential amendments
  186. SCHEDULE 13 Welsh Development Agency: land provisions
  187. SCHEDULE 14 Welsh Development Agency: other amendments
  188. SCHEDULE 15 Development Board for Rural Wales
  189. SCHEDULE 16 Housing for Wales
  190. SCHEDULE 17 Audit etc. of Welsh public bodies
  191. SCHEDULE 18 Repeals

Proposed changes to this act

No one has proposed a change to this act yet.

191 provisions

Title and introductory text

Government of Wales Act 1998 1998 c. 38 An Act to establish and make provision about the National Assembly for Wales and the offices of Auditor General for Wales and Welsh Administration Ombudsman; to reform certain Welsh public bodies and abolish certain other Welsh public bodies; and for connected purposes. [31st July 1998] Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

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1 The Assembly.

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2 Membership.

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3 Time of ordinary elections.

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4 Voting at ordinary elections.

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5 Party lists and individual candidates.

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6 Calculation of electoral region figures.

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7 Return of electoral region members.

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8 Constituency seats.

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9 Electoral region seats.

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10 Entitlement to vote.

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11 Power to make provision about elections etc.

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12 Disqualification from being Assembly member.

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13 Exceptions and relief from disqualification.

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14 Effect of disqualification.

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15 Judicial proceedings as to disqualification.

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16 Salaries and allowances.

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17 Limit on salaries of members of other public bodies.

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18 Pensions etc.

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19 Publication of information about remuneration paid.

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20 Oath or affirmation of allegiance.

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21 Introductory.

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22 Transfer of Ministerial functions.

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23 General transfer of property, rights and liabilities etc.

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24 General transfer: supplementary.

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25 Power to make specific transfers etc.

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26 Transfers of property: supplementary.

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27 Reform of Welsh health authorities.

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28 Reform of other Welsh public bodies.

(1) The Welsh Ministers may by order make, in relation to any one or more of the statutory functions of a body specified in Part I ... of Schedule 4, provision for the transfer of the function or functions— (a) to a body specified in Part I ... of that Schedule, (b) to a body specified in Part ... IV of that Schedule if that body consents to the transfer to it of the function or functions, (c) to a county council, county borough council or community council in Wales (or to more than one such council), or (d) to the Welsh Ministers . (2) Where the Welsh Ministers consider that, if a statutory function of a body specified in Part I ... of Schedule 4 were transferred to a body within any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) by an order under that subsection, that body— (a) would not be able to exercise the function because the function requires or permits something to be done in relation to that body, or (b) could by exercising another of its functions do what the function would require or permit that body to do, the Welsh Ministers may by order make provision for the abolition of the function. (3) Where each of the statutory functions of a body specified in Part I ... of Schedule 4 is transferred or abolished by an order under subsection (1) or (2), the Welsh Ministers may by order make provision— (a) for the abolition of the body if it is a body specified in Part I of that Schedule, ... (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) An order under subsection (1), (2) or (3)(a) making provision in relation to a body specified in Part I of Schedule 4 may include provision for the transfer of staff of the body and of any property, rights and liabilities to which the body is entitled or subject and may in particular— (a) provide for the transfer of any property, rights or liabilities to have effect subject to exceptions or reservations specified in or determined under the order, (b) provide for the creation of interests in, or rights over, property transferred or retained or for the creation of new rights and liabilities between the body and the transferee, (c) provide for the order to have effect in spite of any provision (of whatever nature) which would prevent or restrict the transfer of the property, rights or liabilities otherwise than by the order, or (d) make provision about property situated outside the United Kingdom or rights and liabilities arising otherwise than under the law of England and Wales. (5) Where by an order under subsection (1) or (2)— (a) any function of a body specified in Part I of Schedule 4 is transferred or abolished, or (b) any function is transferred to a body specified in Part I ... of that Schedule, the Welsh Ministers may by order make provision altering the membership of the body. (6) An order under subsection (3)(a) making provision for the abolition of a body may include provision for the abolition of any duty in compliance with which it was established or constituted. (7) An order under this section may contain any appropriate consequential, incidental, supplementary or transitional provisions or savings (including provisions in the form of amendments or repeals of enactments). (7A) A statutory instrument containing an order under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the Assembly. (8) In this section “statutory functions” means functions conferred or imposed by an enactment (including an enactment which is contained in an Act passed after this Act or is made after the passing of this Act).

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29 Implementation of Community law.

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30 Consultation about public appointments.

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31 Consultation about government’s legislative programme.

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32 Support of culture etc.

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33 Consideration of matters affecting Wales.

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34 Staff.

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34A Assistance to groups of Assembly members.

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35 Inquiries.

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36 Polls for ascertaining views of the public.

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37 Private bills.

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38 Legal proceedings.

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