The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland today hosted in Belfast a Joint Meeting of the four United Kingdom Parliamentary Boundary Commissions.
The Commissions considered progress made in their respective Fifth Periodical Reviews. This Review has now been concluded in Scotland.
It was agreed, in the light of collective experience, to examine with the Electoral Commission present procedures for reviewing boundaries, as provided for by the Parliamentary Constituency Act 1986, and to make proposals for change.
It was noted that under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 the functions of the four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions will transfer to respective Boundary Committees of the Electoral Commission. It was agreed to consider how this transfer might best be effected, and its timing.
Following a presentation of the geographic information system (GIS) used by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland, the Commissions affirmed the importance of GIS as a tool for developing proposals and the need for their continued development and funding.
The four Commissions agreed to maintain a dialogue on these and other issues of common concern
Notes for Editors
There are four permanent Boundary Commissions in the United Kingdom; one each for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Commissions keep under continuous review the number, names and boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom and make recommendations. The Commissions are required to conduct a general review of all constituencies every 8 to 12 years. The present Fifth Periodical Reviews began in February 2002.
The Chairman of each of the four Commissions is the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Honourable Michael Martin MP. The Commissions are independent and impartial bodies and for the purpose of considering any matter of common concern, the Commissions may hold joint meetings. The last joint meeting of the four Boundary Commissions was held in Cardiff in April 2003
