Documents to download

The four boundary commission of the UK, one for each nation, are independent and impartial public bodies that are required to periodically review Parliamentary constituency boundaries.

The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 altered the way the commissions are required to consult on their proposals.

Previously the public consultation process was based on an inquiry system. When initial proposals were published, the boundary commissions invited written submissions. If enough written submissions were received, an assistant commissioner would conduct a quasi-judicial inquiry. There was no statutory procedure for local inquiries and their operation was left to the discretion of the assistant commissioner.

The 2011 Act revised the statutory provisions for public consultations and inquiries. There are set periods for written submissions depending on the stage of the consultation process. Although the time periods for each stage of the consultation are laid out in legislation, the dates on which they commence is a matter for the individual boundary commissions. The period between the publication of the commissions’ initial proposals, in the autumn of 2016, to the publication of the final report, which must be by 1 October 2018, is approximately two years.

Public inquiries have been replaced by public hearings which are designed to allow people to make representations and suggest counter-proposals. They are not designed to be a forum for cross-examination of ‘witnesses’ in the way public inquiries used to be. Public hearings only occur in the first phase of the public consultation process. The stages are summarised below.

                    Summary of consultation stages 
 
                        Publication of initial proposals
                                          ⇓

                     12 week initial consultation period

                         which includes public hearings
                                          ⇓

          Publication of initial consultation period submissions

                   including transcripts of public hearings
                                          ⇓

     4 week secondary consultation period – allows people to

comment on submissions from the initial 12 week consultation.

                           There are no public hearings
                                          ⇓
                         Revised proposals published
                                          ⇓

            8 week consultation period on revised proposals

                         There are no public hearings

The boundary commissions will place equal weight on any submission regardless of how they were submitted.

Once the final consultation period has been completed the commissions will consider all submissions and make their final recommendations. The final reports and recommendations must be issued and handed to the Government before 1 October 2018. Once this has been done the commissions’ role in the review has finished.

The dates of the stages of the 2018 Review are shown below.

Stage England Scotland Northern Ireland Wales
         
Review commenced

24  February 2016

 24 February 2016 24  February 2016 24  February 2016
         
Initial proposals published 13 September 2016 20  October 2016 06 September 2016 13 September 2016
         
Initial consultation closed 05 December 2016 11  January 2017 28 November 2016 05 December 2016
         
Secondary Consultation opens 28  February 2017 28 February 2017 05 September 2017 28  February 2017
         
Secondary consultation closes 27       March  2017 27      March 2017 02   October 2017 27      March  2017
         
Revised proposals published 17   October 2017 17   October 2017 30   January 2018 17   October 2017
         
Revised proposal consultation closes 11 December 2017 11 December 2017

26       March  2018

 11 December 2017
         
Final reports to be handed to the Government Before 1 October 2018 Before 1 October 2018 Before 1 October 2018 Before 1 October 2018

Parliamentary approval

Once the Government receives the reports and recommendations of the commissions it must lay them before Parliament. The Government must also lay a draft Order in Council to give effect to the recommended changes before Parliament. At this stage, the Government cannot alter the recommendations unless requested to by a boundary commission.

The draft Order in Council must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before it can be made by Her Majesty in Council.

If Parliament does not approve the draft Order in Council the Government can then amend the recommendations and lay a new draft Order in Council. This will still require Parliamentary approval by both Houses.

Documents to download

Related posts

  • The Budget and the annual Finance Bill

    This paper discusses the way that Parliament scrutinises the Government's proposals for taxation, set out in the annual Budget statement. It looks at how this procedure may be affected by the timing of a General Election, and the decision in 2017 to move the Budget from the Spring to the Autumn. It also provides some suggestions for further reading.

  • Belarus: where next?

    The august presidential election in Belarus led to the biggest demonstrations since the country's independence. The outcome is still not clear.

  • Coronavirus Act: Elections

    The Coronavirus Act,which received Royal Assent on 25 March 2020, made emergency provisions in relation to the coronavirus. This briefing examines the provisions related to postponing local elections due in May 2020 until May 2021.