The Parliamentary Constituencies Bill received Royal Assent on the 14th of December 2020. This enables the Boundary Commission for Wales (BCW) to begin a new boundary review in 2021.
BCW will be making arrangements to meet with interested parties in the New Year as well as publishing the Electoral Quota, allocation of constituencies and ‘Guide to the Review’.
Final Provisions of the Act
The Act amends existing legislation, making provision for: the number of constituencies (maintaining the current 650); the rules governing how boundaries should be drawn and the boundary review process; and the process by which those recommendations are brought into legal effect. The Bill brings the 2018 boundary review (conducted on the basis of 600 constituencies) to a close without implementation.
Amendments made throughout the Act’s passage
- the use of 2 March 2020 electoral register data, rather than 1 December 2020 data, for the next boundary review, due to the impact of Covid-19 on the canvass;
- the creation of an additional protected constituency for Ynys Môn (Anglesey); and
- three amendments providing that the draft Order in Council implementing the final recommendations of the Boundary Commissions must be submitted to Her Majesty, as soon as reasonably practicable and within four months after all four Boundary Commission reports have been laid before Parliament, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
More information about the Act and the debates which took place throughout its passage can be found here. The final version of the Act and Explanatory Notes will shortly be published on legislation.gov.uk
