The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) today (8 June) has
published its initial
proposals for new constituency boundaries. The public are now able
to view and provide
feedback on the proposed constituencies as part of an eight-week
consultation process.
The 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies was formally
launched in January this
year. The Commission is required to ensure that the number of
electors in each constituency
is more equal; in doing so, the number of constituencies in England
will increase from 533 to
543. The Commission is undertaking an independent review of all
constituency boundaries
in England and will present final recommendations to Parliament by
July 2023.
Publication of the initial proposals today is the first time people
get to see what the map of
new constituencies might look like. The rules that the Commission
work to are such that
wide scale change is inevitable. Under the proposals announced
today, just under 10% of
the existing 533 English constituencies remain unchanged.
Members of the public are encouraged to visit www.bcereviews.org.uk
to view maps showing
the proposed new boundaries and provide feedback before the
consultation closes on 2
August 2021. People can comment on anything from where the proposed
new boundary
lines are to the names of the constituencies. There will be a
further two rounds of
consultation in 2022. Following the conclusion of all three
consultation periods, the
Commission will look at all the evidence received and form its
final recommendations.
Tim Bowden, Secretary to the Boundary Commission for England,
said:
“Today’s proposals mark the first time people get to see what the
new map of
Parliamentary constituencies might look like. But they are just the
Commission’s
initial thoughts. Help us draw the line to make the number of
electors in each
Parliamentary constituency more equal. Each constituency we
recommend is required
by law to contain between 69,724 and 77,062 electors, meaning there
will be
significant change to current boundaries. We want to hear the views
of the public to
ensure that we get the new boundaries for Parliamentary
constituencies right.”
We consider all feedback received during the consultation process,
and it is your
local knowledge that helps us to shape constituencies that best
reflect your local
area. It is easy to get involved - view our proposals and have your
say on our online
consultation portal - www.bcereviews.org.uk.”
Notes to editors
1. The Boundary Commission for England is an independent and
impartial advisory
body, constituted under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act
1986. It is responsible
for conducting reviews of UK Parliament constituencies in England
and making
recommendations to Parliament. The reviews for Scotland, Wales
and Northern
Ireland are the responsibility of separate Commissions in those
parts of the United
Kingdom.
2. The statutory framework for how a review of constituencies
must be conducted was
most recently changed by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act
2020.
3. The key changes made by this Act are summarised in our news
release, published
16 December 2020. These include retaining a total of 650
constituencies across the
UK; an additional ‘protected’ constituency of Ynys Môn
(Anglesey); and the removal
of Parliamentary debates from the process, meaning that future
draft Orders will go
directly to the Privy Council.
4. The Act also requires the Commission to base this review on
electorate data from 2
March 2020. According to the UK’s electorate figures published on
5 January 2021
by the Office for National Statistics, each constituency that we
recommend must
contain no less than 69,724 Parliamentary electors, and no more
than 77,062 (except
two ‘protected’ constituencies for the Isle of Wight). England
will be allocated 543
constituencies for the new review, which constitutes an increase
of ten
constituencies.
5. The publication of our Initial Proposals for new
constituencies today (8 June 2021)
launches an eight week consultation period, in which the BCE
invites comments on
the proposals from the public. Members of the public can view and
comment on the
initial proposals online at www.bcereviews.org.uk. Hard copies of
the proposals can
be viewed at places of deposit in each constituency.
6. In early 2022, we will publish the feedback to the initial
proposals. We will conduct a
six week secondary consultation, including holding a number of
public hearings
across the country, in which the public is invited to respond.
After the publication of
the revised proposals in the autumn of 2022, the Commission will
conduct a
four-week written consultation and invite the public to respond
to these proposals.
7. The Commission must then submit its final report and
recommendations to the
Speaker of the House of Commons by 1 July 2023.
8. Our Guide to the Review, which explains the statutory
framework and policies
followed by the Commission in conducting the Review, is available
to read on our
website here.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1S_-WGR-sszgi_8Y-zcsMjN-scUaZQ3dN
