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Reduce
the number of parliamentary constituencies; amend the rules
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governing the number of
electors in each constituency; and for connected |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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1 |
Amendment
of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 |
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(1) |
The Parliamentary Constituencies
Act 1986 (c. 56) is amended as follows. |
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(2) |
In section 3(7), for “the
rules in paragraph 4” substitute “the rule in paragraph
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(3) |
For Schedule 2 substitute— |
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5 |
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Rules for Redistribution
of Seats |
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1 |
The number of constituencies
in the United Kingdom shall not be |
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greater
than or substantially less than 581. |
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2 |
Every constituency
shall return a single member. |
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3 |
There shall continue
to be a constituency which shall include the |
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whole
of the City of London and the name of which shall refer to the
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4 |
A constituency shall
be located wholly within one of— |
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15 |
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5 |
The
number of constituencies in each of England, Wales, Scotland
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and
Northern Ireland, shall be calculated in each case by multiplying
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the
electoral proportion of each part of the United Kingdom by the
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number
of constituencies in the United Kingdom as determined by |
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the
Electoral Commission in accordance with rule 1. |
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6 |
Where the calculations
under rule 5 lead to the total number of |
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constituencies
exceeding 581 the number of constituencies in that |
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part
of the United Kingdom with the largest electorate shall be |
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7 |
Within each part of
the United Kingdom, the electorate of any |
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constituency
shall be as near the electoral quota as is practicable, and
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shall
in any case be no greater than 105% and no less than 95% of
the |
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8 |
So far as is practicable
in accordance with rules 1 to 7, the Electoral |
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Commission
shall have regard to— |
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(a) |
county and borough
boundaries in England and Wales; |
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(b) |
the boundaries
of local authority areas in Scotland; and |
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(c) |
the boundaries
of wards in Northern Ireland. |
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9 |
In the application
of these rules to the United Kingdom— |
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(a) |
the expression
“electoral proportion” means a number |
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obtained
by dividing the electorate of a constituent part of the |
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United
Kingdom by the electorate of the whole of the United |
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(b) |
the expression
“electoral quota” means a number obtained by |
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dividing
the total electorate of each part of the United |
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Kingdom
by the number of constituencies in it existing on the |
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(c) |
the expression
“electorate” means— |
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(i) |
in relation
to a constituency, the number of persons |
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whose
names appear on the register of parliamentary |
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electors
in force on the enumeration date under the |
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Representation
of the People Acts for that |
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(ii) |
in relation
to the part of the United Kingdom, the |
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aggregate
electorate as defined in paragraph (a) |
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above
of all the constituencies in that part; |
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(d) |
the expression
“enumeration date” means, in relation to any |
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report
by the Electoral Commission (or one made by a |
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Boundary
Committee for the purposes of it) under this Act, |
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the
date on which the notice with respect to that report is |
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published
in accordance with section 5(1) of this Act. |
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10 |
In this Schedule,
a reference to a rule followed by a number is a |
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reference
to the rule set out in the correspondingly numbered |
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paragraph
of this Schedule.” |
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2 |
Short
title, commencement and extent |
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(1) |
This Act may be cited
as the Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Act |
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2007, and shall be included
among the Acts which may be cited as the |
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Representation of the People
Acts. |
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