Constituencies

(asked on 24th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to bring forward proposals for a UK-wide boundary review of parliamentary constituencies.


Answered by
Chloe Smith Portrait
Chloe Smith
This question was answered on 21st April 2020

The Conservative Government committed, in its 2019 Manifesto, to delivering updated and equal UK Parliamentary boundaries with the essential aim of making sure that every vote counts the same - a cornerstone of democracy.

In the written statement of 24 March, ‘Update: Strengthening Democracy’ (HCWS183), the Government set out its policy position in relation to the boundaries of UK Parliamentary constituencies. The statement noted that legislation currently provides that, on implementation of the 2018 Boundary Review recommendations, the number of constituencies in the UK shall be 600, and that the Government is instead minded to make provision for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650. This is a change in policy from the position previously legislated for under the Coalition Government. Since that policy was established in the Coalition Agreement, the United Kingdom has left the European Union. The UK Parliament will have a greater workload now we are taking back control, abolishing MEPs and regaining our political and economic independence. It is therefore sensible for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650.

The written statement explained that, when Parliamentary time allows, the Government is minded to bring forward primary legislation to set the framework for future boundary reviews, including the next review due to begin in early 2021.

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