Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
Section 3 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (referred to in this Act as “the 1986 Act”) is amended as follows.
In subsection (1) (duty on Boundary Commissions to submit reports to the Secretary of State), for “Secretary of State” substitute “ Speaker of the House of Commons ”.
For subsection (2) (deadline for reports) substitute—
After subsection (2) insert—
In subsection (2B)(a) (duty to submit progress reports to the Speaker), for “January that begins one year and nine months before that date” substitute “ relevant January ”.
After subsection (2B) insert—
Omit subsections (5) to (5C) (duty to lay reports and draft Order in Council).
Section 4 of the 1986 Act (Orders in Council) is amended as follows.
For subsections (1) to (4) (procedure for draft Orders in Council) substitute—
In subsection (7) (validity of Order in Council not to be called in question), omit the words from “and” to “Parliament”.
After subsection (7) insert—
After section 4 of the 1986 Act insert—
Section 5 of the 1986 Act (publicity and consultation) is amended as follows.
In subsection (1)(a)(iii) (length of initial consultation period), for “12 weeks” substitute “ eight weeks ”.
Omit subsections (1)(b) and (3) (duty to hold public hearings during initial consultation period and related provision).
In subsection (4)(a) (duty to publish information after the initial consultation period), omit “and records of public hearings held under subsection (1)(b) above”.
In subsection (4)(b) (the secondary consultation period)—
for “things” substitute “ representations ”, and
for “four weeks” substitute “ eight weeks ”.
After subsection (4)(b) insert—
After subsection (4) insert—
In subsection (5) (requirements if revised proposals)—
after “revised proposed constituencies” insert “ before the beginning of the third consultation period ”, and
in paragraph (c), for “a specified period of eight weeks” substitute “ the third consultation period ”.
In subsection (7) (the taking of steps), after “(4)” insert “ , (4B) ”.
In subsection (8) (duty to consider certain matters)—
in paragraph (a), after “(4)(b)” insert “ , (4B)(b) ”, and
in paragraph (b), for “(1)(b)” substitute “ (4)(c) ”.
In subsection (10)(b), after “(4)” insert “ , (4B) ”.
After subsection (10) insert—
In rule 1 of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act (number of parliamentary constituencies), for “600” substitute “ 650 ”.
Rule 5 of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act (factors a Boundary Commission may take into account) is amended in accordance with subsections (2) and (3).
In rule 5(1) (list of factors), for paragraph (b) substitute—.
After rule 5(1) insert—
In rule 9 of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act (interpretation), after sub-paragraph (3) insert—
Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act is amended as follows.
In rule 6(2) (protected constituencies), after paragraph (b) insert; .
In rule 8(5) (the allocation method)—
in paragraph (b), for “6(2)” substitute “ 6(2)(a) and (b) ”, and
after paragraph (b) insert; .
In rule 9(7) (references to areas in rule 6)—
after “6” insert “ (2)(a) or (b) ”, and
after “2011” insert “ , and the reference in rule 6(2)(c) to the area of the Isle of Anglesey County Council is to the area as it existed on the coming into force of the Schedule to the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 ”.
In rule 9(2) of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act (definition of the “electorate”), for “The” substitute “ Subject to sub-paragraph (2A), the ”.
After rule 9(2) of that Schedule insert—
(For example, 1 December 2028 in the case of a report required to be submitted before 1 October 2031).
Any duty of the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office under section 3(5A) of the 1986 Act to lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council for giving effect to the recommendations in current reports of the Boundary Commissions is to be treated as having ceased to have effect on 24 March 2020.
Any other duties, or any powers, of the Secretary of State, the Minister for the Cabinet Office or any other person under the 1986 Act in relation to a current report of a Boundary Commission are to be treated as having ceased to have effect, or as having ceased to be exercisable, on 24 March 2020.
A report of a Boundary Commission is “current” if, immediately before 24 March 2020—
the report has been submitted to the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office under section 3(1) of the 1986 Act, but
no Order in Council under that Act has been made for giving effect to the recommendations in it.
Omit section 14 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 (duty to review reduction in number of constituencies to 600).
That repeal is to be treated as having come into force on 31 May 2020.
Section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Assembly constituencies and numbers of members) is amended as follows.
In subsection (3) (effect on Assembly constituencies of Orders in Council under the 1986 Act), for paragraph (a) substitute—.
After subsection (3) insert—
The Schedule to this Act contains minor and consequential amendments (including the repeal of some provisions which are spent).
The amendments made by this Act do not affect the continuing validity of any Orders in Council made under the 1986 Act before this Act comes into force.
This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Subject to paragraph 4(4) of the Schedule, this Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.
This Act may be cited as the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020.
Section 13
The 1986 Act is amended as follows.
Omit section 6C (references to the Secretary of State mean the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office).
Schedule 1 (the Boundary Commissions) is amended as follows. In each of the following provisions, after “Secretary of State” insert “ or the Minister for the Cabinet Office ”
Schedule 2 (rules for distribution of seats) is amended as follows. In rule 2(3) (definition of “United Kingdom electoral quota”), for “596” substitute “ 645 ”. In rule 5(2A) (table of the English regions which is inserted by paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 2 to the European Parliamentary Elections Etc. (Repeal, Revocation, Amendment and Saving Provisions) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1310)), in column (2) of the Table, in the list of areas comprising the North West region, below “County of Blackburn with Darwen” insert “ County of Blackpool ”. If this Act is passed on a day which is before the day on which paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 2 to those Regulations comes into force, sub-paragraph (3) comes into force immediately after that provision of those Regulations comes into force (instead of on the day on which this Act is passed).
Schedule 2A (public hearings about Boundary Commission proposals) is amended as follows. In paragraph 6(b) (public hearing to begin with explanation of how written representations may be made), after “(4)(b)” insert “ , (4B)(b) ”. In paragraph 9 (interpretation), in the definition of “public hearing”, for “section 5(1)(b)” substitute “ section 5(4)(c) ”.
The Boundary Commissions Act 1992 is amended as follows.
Omit the following provisions (which are spent)—
section 2(1) (application of section 2 to reports of the Boundary Commission under section 3(1) of the 1986 Act), and
section 2(2) (requirement for Boundary Commissions to submit a report under section 3(1) of the 1986 Act no later than 31 December 1994).
The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 is amended as follows.
Omit the following provisions (which make amendments or other provision which are superseded by provision made by this Act or are spent)—
section 10(3), (6) and (8) (amendments to sections 3 and 4 of the 1986 Act),
section 10(11) (modification of the Lord President of the Council Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1837)),
section 11(2) (transitional provision relating to the Boundary Commission reports of 2018), and
section 13(3) to (8) (transitional provision relating to ongoing or unimplemented reports of the Boundary Commission for Wales in 2011).
The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 is amended as follows.
Omit section 6 (which makes amendments to section 3 of the 1986 Act and sections 11 and 14 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 which are superseded by provision made by this Act).