Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986

[^key-fd38b18dc45adc73cef845c7aba5a445]: S. 3(2ZA) functions cease to be exercisable concurrently (8.12.2021) by The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), arts. 1(2), 9, Sch. 1(c) (with arts. 11, 12)

[^key-0c4f5f77ddcb91b3c918f6e59449525f]: S. 4 functions cease to be exercisable concurrently (8.12.2021) by The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), arts. 1(2), 9, Sch. 1(c) (with arts. 11, 12)

[^key-91ce16ef41885e41675a1b3458c47cc0]: S. 4A functions cease to be exercisable concurrently (8.12.2021) by The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), arts. 1(2), 9, Sch. 1(c) (with arts. 11, 12)

[^key-894e197519582990b590bfa594d4c783]: Sch. 1 functions cease to be exercisable concurrently (8.12.2021) by The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), arts. 1(2), 9, Sch. 1(c) (with arts. 11, 12)

[^key-7c6e63e8b57baa4e99fa9deb03275011]: Words in s. 3(2ZA) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(2) (with art. 12)

[^key-bf730ce2d8fe226a86958a63c3349142]: Words in s. 4(1) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(3)(a) (with art. 12)

[^key-8ba33dec5bec6f534df9b4e2fd2b8019]: Words in s. 4(4) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(3)(a) (with art. 12)

[^key-1a2a4c0d052f0f8e2eee2163febf160a]: Words in s. 4(4B) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(3)(b) (with art. 12)

[^key-966342155138e88b51f7c4e991da0c2d]: Words in s. 4A(3) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(4) (with art. 12)

[^key-219a5bae975a48ed17f011e78d08d0aa]: Words in Sch. 1 para. 2 omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (with art. 12)

[^key-bc4c3ca6c4731885a8ba9754367c9a03]: Words in Sch. 1 para. 4A omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (with art. 12)

[^key-1df27ab178eaa0669a809da266fc3720]: Words in Sch. 1 para. 6(1) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (with art. 12)

[^key-eaf203d6206a8539442e450b6f701531]: Words in Sch. 1 para. 6(2) omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (with art. 12)

[^key-b4f12382e2d9f6b7f071339ceddbef9d]: Words in Sch. 1 para. 7 omitted (8.12.2021) by virtue of The Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1265), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(5) (with art. 12)

6B

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviews and proposed recommendations by Boundary Committees.

Number of constituencies

Electorate per constituency

Allocation of constituencies to parts of the United Kingdom

Area of constituencies

Factors

Protected constituencies

Northern Ireland

The allocation method

Interpretation

SCHEDULE 2A

Purpose of hearings

1

The purpose of a public hearing is to enable representations to be made about any of the proposals with which the hearing is concerned.

Number of hearings

2

• (1) In relation to any particular report under section 3(1)(a) of this Act—

• (a) the Boundary Commission for England shall cause at least two and no more than five public hearings to be held in each English region;

• (b) the Boundary Commission for Scotland shall cause at least two and no more than five public hearings to be held in Scotland;

• (c) the Boundary Commission for Wales shall cause at least two and no more than five public hearings to be held in Wales;

• (d) the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland shall cause at least two and no more than five public hearings to be held in Northern Ireland.

• (2) The public hearings in an English region shall be concerned with proposals for that region, and shall between them cover the whole region.

• (3) The public hearings in Scotland shall be concerned with proposals for Scotland, and shall between them cover the whole of Scotland.

• (4) The public hearings in Wales shall be concerned with proposals for Wales, and shall between them cover the whole of Wales.

• (5) The public hearings in Northern Ireland shall be concerned with proposals for Northern Ireland, and shall between them cover the whole of Northern Ireland.

Chair of hearing

3

For each public hearing the Boundary Commission concerned shall appoint a person to chair the hearing.

Length of hearings

4

A public hearing shall be completed within two days.

Procedure at hearings

5

It is for the chair of each public hearing to determine the procedure that is to govern that hearing.

6

The chair shall make arrangements for a public hearing to begin with an explanation of—

• (a) the proposals with which the hearing is concerned;

• (b) how written representations about the proposals may be made (as mentioned in section 5(1)(a), (4)(b) , (4B)(b) or (5)(c) of this Act).

7

• (1) The chair of a public hearing must allow representations to be made—

• (a) by each qualifying party;

• (b) by any other persons (whether individuals or organisations) considered by the chair to have an interest in any of the proposals with which the hearing is concerned.

Paragraph (b) above has effect subject to sub-paragraph (3)(b) below.

• (2) The chair may restrict the amount of time allowed for representations—

• (a) by qualifying parties, and

• (b) by other persons,

and need not allow the same amount to each.

• (3) The chair may determine—

• (a) the order in which representations are made, and

• (b) if necessary because of shortage of time, which of those wishing to make representations are not allowed to do so,

in whatever way the chair decides.

8

• (1) The chair may put questions, or allow questions to be put, to a person present at the hearing.

• (2) If questions are allowed to be put, the chair may regulate the manner of questioning or restrict the number of questions a person may ask.

Interpretation

9

In this Schedule—

• “the chair” means the person appointed under paragraph 3 above;

• “English region” means a region specified in rule 5(2A) of Schedule 2 as the region existed on the day referred to in rule 5(2) of that Schedule;

• “public hearing” means a hearing under section 5(4)(c) of this Act;

• “qualifying party” means a party that is registered under Part 2 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 and either—has at least one Member of the House of Commons representing a constituency in the region, or (as the case may be) the part of the United Kingdom, in which the hearing is held, orreceived at least 10% of the votes cast in that region or part in the most recent parliamentary general election.

Note: The following abbreviations are used in this Table:—

...

13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6C

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4A

• (1) Subsection (2) applies where—

• (a) a report of a Boundary Commission has been submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons under section 3(1),

• (b) it is a report under section 3(1)(a) (report with recommendations), and

• (c) no draft of an Order in Council has yet been submitted to Her Majesty in Council under section 4(1) in relation to the report.

• (2) The Commission in question may submit to the Speaker a statement (“a statement of modifications”) specifying—

• (a) the modifications which they consider should be made to the recommendations in the report in order to correct any error in those recommendations, and

• (b) their reasons for those modifications.

• (3) On submitting a statement of modifications to the Speaker under subsection (2), the Commission must send a copy of it to the Secretary of State ....

• (4) On receiving a statement of modifications under subsection (2), the Speaker must lay it before Parliament.

• (5) As soon as reasonably practicable after a statement of modifications has been laid under subsection (4), the Boundary Commission which submitted the statement must publish it in such manner as they think fit.

• (6) Where a statement of modifications in relation to a report has been laid under subsection (4), the draft of the Order in Council to be submitted under section 4(1) in relation to the report must give effect to the recommendations in the report with the modifications specified in the statement.

Note: The following abbreviations are used in this Table:—