House of Commons Amendments

House of Commons

Session 2010 - 11
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
405

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

Hywel Williams

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Mr Jonathan Edwards

149

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  35,  leave out
U and insert U

598 597

Austin Mitchell

260

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  35,  leave out
U and insert U

598 648

Susan Elan Jones

107

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  35,  leave out ‘598’ and insert ‘E – 42’.

Susan Elan Jones

113

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  35,  leave out ‘598’ and insert ‘E – P – 2’.

Mr Philip Hollobone

220

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  35,  leave out ‘598’ and insert ‘450’.

Susan Elan Jones

108

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  37,  at end insert ‘and rule 6A, and E is the number of

constituencies in the United Kingdom’.

Susan Elan Jones

114

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  37,  at end insert ‘and minus the electorate of Wales, E is the

number of constituencies in the United Kingdom, and P is the number of constituencies

allocated to Wales’.

Mr Jonathan Edwards

Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil

Hywel Williams

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

147

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 4 to 6 and insert—

‘(2)
Each part of the United Kingdom shall have the same percentage of

constituencies or, as the case may be, Members of the House of Commons, as at

the date of Royal Assent.’.

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

366

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 4 to 6 and insert—

‘(1A)
In England, each constituency shall be wholly in one of the electoral regions

specified in Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002.

(1B)
The following shall be allocated whole numbers of constituencies by whichever

Boundary Commission is responsible for them:

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
406

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

(a)
Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands council areas;

(b)
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar council area;

(c)
The Isle of Anglesey county area;

(d)
The Isle of Wight county area;

(e)
The County of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly council areas.

(1C)
The number of seats to be allocated to each area shall be determined by dividing

the electorate of the area or areas concerned by the United Kingdom Electoral

Quota and rounding to the nearest whole number. Each area must be allocated at

least one whole seat.’.

Susan Elan Jones

109

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  6,  at end insert ‘, subject to the terms of rule 6A’.

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

130

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 7 to 14.

Mr Charles Kennedy

Mr Alan Reid

John Thurso

345

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  10,  leave out from ‘if’ to end of line 14 and insert ‘the

Boundary Commission is concerned that unusual geographical considerations, including

in particular the size, shape and accessibility of a proposed constituency, would cause an

unreasonable amount of time to travel round the various communities within it.’.

Andrew George

73

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  11,  after ‘kilometres’, insert ‘including the area of sea, where

the constituency includes off-shore islands’.

Graham Stringer

226

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  16,  leave out ‘may take into account, if and to such extent as

they may think fit’ and insert ‘must take into account’.

Mr Charles Kennedy

Mr Alan Reid

John Thurso

346

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  16,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘must’.

Mr Charles Kennedy

Mr Alan Reid

John Thurso

347

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  16,  leave out from ‘account’ to end of line 17.

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
407

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

Andrew George

69

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  24,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
A Boundary Commission must ensure that constituencies are wholly within a

principal local authority area when the following support such a proposition:

(a)
The principal local authority:

(b)
All sitting Members of Parliament representing constituencies wholly or

partially within that area;

(c)
Two thirds of all civil parish and town councils or parish meetings within

that area who express an opinion;


and where the Commission is satisfied from its own soundings amongst the

electorate and the business and voluntary sectors that this preference is widely

shared.’.

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

367

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  24,  at end insert—

‘(2)

(a)
In England no district or borough ward shall be included in more than one

constituency.

(b)
In Northern Ireland no local authority ward shall be included in more

than one constituency.

(c)
In Wales no unitary authority ward shall be included in more than one

constituency.

(d)
In Scotland regard shall be had to local authority ward boundaries.

(e)
In England the Boundary Commission should where practicable have

regard to the boundaries of counties and London boroughs and in any

case no constituency shall include the whole or part of more than two

counties or London boroughs.

(f)
In Wales the Boundary Commission should where practicable have

regard to the boundaries of unitary authorities and in any case no

constituency shall include the whole or part of more than two unitary

authorities.’.

Mr Andrew Turner

116

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 25 to 30.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

39

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  30,  at end insert ‘The Boundary Commission for England

shall take into account counties as listed in Schedule 1 to the 1997 Lieutenancies Act in

so far as is possible in accordance with rule 2 above.’.

Mr Andrew Turner

117

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  30,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
The Boundary Commission for England must, so far as reasonably practicable,

use parishes rather than wards or eletoral divisions as the basis for

constituencies.’.

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
408

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

Mark Durkan

357

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  30,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland must take into account the effect

of the proposals in any of their reports on the equity of the electoral arrangements

for the Northern Ireland Assembly, and in particular must seek to ensure that the

disparity between the electorates of constituencies in Northern Ireland is not such

as to undermine the system of proportional representation as set out in the

Northern Ireland Act 1998.’.

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

368

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out line 31.

Mr Mark Field

203

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  32,  leave out subsection (6).

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

369

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 32 to 39.

Mr Charles Kennedy

Mr Alan Reid

John Thurso

349

Clause  9,  page  8,  leave out lines 32 to 39 and insert—

‘Whole numbers of constituencies

6    (1)
The following shall be allocated whole numbers of constituencies by

whichever Boundary Commission is responsible for them—

(a)
Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands council areas;

(b)
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar council area;

(c)
the Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn Isle of Anglesey county area;

(d)
the Isle of Wight county area;

(e)
the county of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly council areas;

(f)
the Highland council area;

(g)
the Argyll and Bute council area.

      (2)
The number of constituencies to be allocated to each area shall be determined

by dividing the electorate of the area or areas concerned by the United

Kingdom electoral average and rounding to the nearest whole number, unless

this would mean that rule 4(1) could not be satisfied, in which case the area

concerned will be allocated the smallest number of constituencies required in

order to satisfy that rule. Each area must be allocated at least one whole

constituency.

      (3)   In this rule the United Kingdom electoral average means—
E
600


where E is the electorate of the United Kingdom.’.

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
409

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

John Mann

362

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  33,  leave out ‘continue to’.

Hywel Williams

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Mr Jonathan Edwards

150

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  38,  at end insert—

‘(c)
a constituency named Ynys Môn, comprising the area of the Cyngor Sir

Ynys Môn Isle of Anglesey County Council.’.

John Mann

363

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  38,  at end insert—

‘(c)
a constituency named East Retforde, comprising the historic borough of

East Retforde as defined by Royal Charter in 1105, with 150 freemen of

the town electing two members for the consituency.’.

Mr Andrew Turner

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Mr Graham Allen

Mr Mike Hancock

Dr Julian Lewis

Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil

43

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘Isle of Wight

6A  (1)
All parts of the Isle of Wight must be included in a constituency which is

wholly in the Isle of Wight.

      (2)
Rule 2 does not apply to any such constituency.’.

Andrew George

Stephen Gilbert

71

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

6A  (1)
All parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly must be included in a constituency

which is wholly in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

      (2)
Rule 2 does not apply in relation to any such constituency.

      (3)
The electorate of any constituency in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly shall be:

(a)
no less than 95% of the Cornwall and Scilly electoral quota; and

(b)
no more than 105% of that quota.

      (4)
The “ Cornwall and Scilly electoral quota” means C/E where C is the electorate

of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and E is the number of parliamentary

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
410

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

constituencies which the Commission has determined should be allocated to

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.’.

Susan Elan Jones

110

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘Wales

6A  (1)
There shall continue to be 40 constituencies in Wales.

      (2)
Rule 2 does not apply in relation to Wales.

      (3)
The electorate of any constituency in Wales shall be—

(a)
no less than 95 per cent. of the Wales electoral quota,

(b)
no more than 105% of that quota.

      (4)
The “Wales electoral quota” means W/40 where W is the electorate of Wales.’.

Sheryll Murray

Stephen Gilbert

137

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘Cornwall

6B  (1)
All parts of Cornwall must be included in a constituency which is wholly in

Cornwall.

      (2)
Rule 2 does not apply to any such constituencies.’.

Mark Field

351

Clause  9,  page  8,  line  39,  at end insert—

‘Special authorities

6A  (3)
The area of a special authority shall form part of not more than one

constituency at any time, and the name by which that constituency is known

shall refer to the area of that authority.

      (4)
In this paragraph “special authority” has the same meaning as in section 144

of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.’.

Mr Jonathan Edwards

Hywel Williams

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

148

Clause  9,  page  9,  leave out lines 1 to 40.

Mr Graham Allen

Sheila Gilmore

Simon Hart

Tristram Hunt

Mrs Eleanor Laing

Sir Peter Soulsby

238

Clause  9,  page  9,  leave out lines 1 to 25.

Committee of the whole House: 18 October 2010
411

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

Mark Durkan

358

Clause  9,  page  9,  line  13,  after ‘5(1)’, insert ‘or (2A)’.

Edward Miliband

Sadiq Khan

Chris Bryant

Mr Peter Hain

370

Clause  9,  page  9,  leave out line 26 to 40 and insert—

‘Allocation of constituencies

8    (1)
The adjusted UK Electoral Quota shall then be calculated as follows:

The total electorate of the United Kingdom less the areas listed in Rule

4(1B) divided by

650 minus the total number of constituencies allocated to the areas listed in

Rule 4(1B).

      (2)
Each country shall then be allocated a whole number of constituencies as

follows.

      (3)
The first constituency shall be allocated to the part of the United Kingdom with

the largest electorate.

      (4)
The second and subsequent constituencies shall be allocated in the same way,

except that the electorate of a part of the United Kingdom to which one or more

constituencies have already been allocated is to be divided by—
2C + 1


where C is the number of constituencies already allocated to that part.

      (5)
An Electoral Quota shall then be calculated for each of the four countries by

dividing the electorate of each country by the number of constituencies

allocated as described in Rules 8(3) and 5(4).

      (6)
The total number of constituencies to be allocated to any country shall not be

more than ten per cent. above or below the current number of constituencies.

If the number of constituencies allocated by the process described in Rules 8(3)

and 8(4) exceeds or falls below that limit then additional or fewer seats shall

be allocated as appropriate, sufficient to bring the allocation within ten per

cent. of the current number of seats in the country concerned.

      (7)
This adjusted number of seats shall be the allocation for that country for the

purposes of Rule 8(5).’.

Mr Charles Kennedy

Mr Alan Reid

John Thurso

350

Clause  9,  page  9,  leave out lines 38 to 40 and insert ‘and accordingly the electorate of

each part of the United Kingdom shall be treated for the purposes of this rule as reduced

by the electorate of those constituencies.’.

Hywel Williams

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Mr Jonathan Edwards

151

Clause  9,  page  9,  line  38,  after ‘Scotland’, insert ‘and of Wales’.



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