Key Facts

• The Minister has given notice of her intention to move a motion for oral evidence sessions.
• The letter referred to is dated 15 June.
• Witnesses include Tony Bellringer from the Boundary Commission for England and Isabel Drummond-Murray from the Boundary Commission for Scotland.
• The legislation was most recently amended in 2011.
• There are four commissions—one for each part of the UK—working independently on constituency reviews.
• Each commission must recommend a number of seats within plus or minus 5% of an electoral quota.
• The review process includes iterative public consultation and secondary consultation on responses.
• The Bill as drafted suggests using the December '20 register for electorate data.
• Public hearings were limited to five in Scotland during the last review, which was problematic.
• Highlands North was the only constituency proposed above 12,000 sq km in the 2018 review that stuck within plus or minus 5% tolerance.
• The process prioritizes adherence to the plus or minus 5% electorate parity and considers factors like existing constituencies, local ties, and significant geographical features.
• The statutory role involves having regard to local authority boundaries and local government boundaries.
• There is an approach to limit the number of local authorities within constituencies.
• The process of creating postcode areas in England would take an awfully long time.
• It took about two years for Ordnance Survey and the commission to map every polling district in England between 2013 and 2018.
• Local authorities that conduct polling district reviews are required to publish findings on a website, but not necessarily in mapped format.
• The parliamentary inquiry has received informative evidence regarding constituency reviews.
• Alec Shelbrooke, a West Yorkshire MP, raises concerns about large constituencies and the need for building blocks that cause minimal disruption.
• Complaints have been made by members of the public regarding the inclusion of communities in constituencies with which they do not feel they share commonalities.
• The Boundary Commission holds itself up as a model of independence during reviews.
• Information about ongoing reviews is not shared with the Government or Ministers before it is communicated to the public.
• Local input carries significant weight, but well-argued mathematical solutions can also influence decisions.
• Shereen Williams took up the role of secretary of the Boundary Commission for Wales in January 2019.
• The Bill proposes moving public hearings as part of the second round of consultation, providing more flexibility.
• Wales will face significant challenges with a potential loss of constituencies due to population changes and the tight 5% quota.
• The Parliamentary Constituencies Bill affects the number of seats in Wales.
• Shereen Williams provided testimony on balancing factors under rule 5.
• Ynys Môn constituency was discussed in relation to cultural identity protection.
• Northern Ireland has less geographical space for constituency creation compared to other parts of the UK.
• Pre-existing legislation includes provisions allowing flexibility beyond a plus or minus 5% tolerance in Northern Ireland's case.
• Parliamentary constituencies influence the formation of Assembly constituency areas.
• The statement concludes the morning session of the Committee.
• The next meeting is scheduled for 2 pm on the same day.