Report published on the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill
4 September 2020
The Constitution Committee has published its 13th report of the session on the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill
Background
The Bill amends the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to provide for: the number of parliamentary constituencies, the setting of parliamentary constituency boundaries, and the conduct of reviews by the four United Kingdom Boundary Commissions.
Key findings
- The Committee finds the removal of Parliament's power to block Boundary Commission recommendations constitutionally appropriate and therefore welcome.
- Automatic implementation of Boundary Commission recommendations will only protect against undue political influence if they are themselves genuinely independent.
- The Committee recommends that the House may wish to consider what safeguards are required to ensure the independence and impartiality of the Boundary Commissions and their recommendations.