Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986

3 Reports of the Commissions.U.K.

(1)Each Boundary Commission shall keep under review the representation in the House of Commons of the part of the United Kingdom with which they are concerned and shall, in accordance with subsection (2) below, submit to the Secretary of State reports with respect to the whole of that part of the United Kingdom, either—

(a)Showing the constituencies into which they recommend that it should be divided in order to give effect to the rules set out in [F1Schedule 2 to this Act], or

(b)stating that, in the opinion of the Commission, no alteration is required to be made in respect of that part of the United Kingdom in order to give effect to the said rules F2....

[F3(2)A Boundary Commission shall submit reports under subsection (1) above periodically—

(a)[F4before 1st October 2018 but not before 1st September 2018], and

(b)before 1st October of every fifth year after that.]

F5 [( 2A )A failure by a Boundary Commission to submit a report within the time limit which is appropriate to that report shall not be regarded as invalidating the report for the purposes of any enactment.]

[F6(2B)In relation to any report which a Boundary Commission are required by subsection (2) above to submit before a particular date but have not yet submitted (a “pending boundary report”), the Commission shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Commons—

(a)during the January that begins one year and nine months before that date, and

(b)during each subsequent January,

a report setting out what progress they have made with the preparation of the pending boundary report, with particular reference to the requirement in subsection (2) above.

(2C)On receiving a report under subsection (2B) above, the Speaker shall lay it before Parliament.]

F7(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)A report of a Boundary Commission under this Act showing the constituencies into which they recommend that any area should be divided shall state, as respects each constituency, the name by which they recommend that it should be known, and whether they recommend that it should be a county constituency or a borough constituency (or in Scotland a county constituency or a burgh constituency).

[F8(5)As soon as may be after the submission of a report under subsection (1) above, the Secretary of State shall lay the report before Parliament.

(5A)As soon as may be after the submission of all four reports under subsection (1) above that are required by subsection (2) above to be submitted before a particular date, the Secretary of State shall lay before Parliament the draft of an Order in Council for giving effect to the recommendations contained in them.

(5B)Where—

(a)a Boundary Commission have submitted a report under subsection (1) above (but no draft under subsection (5A) above has yet been laid in relation to the report),

(b)the Commission notify the Secretary of State that the recommendations contained in the report are to have effect with specified modifications, and

(c)the Commission submit to the Secretary of State a statement of the reasons for those modifications,

the draft under subsection (5A) above shall give effect to the recommendations with those modifications.

(5C)Subsections (5A) and (5B) above do not apply where each of the reports mentioned in subsection (5) above states that no alteration is required to be made in respect of the part of the United Kingdom with which the Commission in question are concerned.]

(6)Schedule 2 to this Act which contains the rules referred to above F9... shall have effect.

F10( 7 ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F10(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F5S. 3(2A) inserted (12.11.1992) by Boundary Commissions Act 1992 (c. 55), s. 2(4)

F8S. 3(5)-(5C) substituted for s. 3(5) (16.2.2011) by Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 (c. 1), ss. 10(6), 19(1) (with s. 13(5))

F9Words in s. 3(6) omitted (16.2.2011) by virtue of Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 (c. 1), s. 19(1), Sch. 12 Pt. 2 (with s. 13(5))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1S. 3(1) amended (12.11.1992) by Boundary Commissions Act 1992 (c. 55), s. 2(1)(2)