ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL MEETING

Corporate Services 30 April 2009

First Periodical Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries

1. SUMMARY

This report provides advance notification of the impending publication, by the Boundary Commission for , of their revised proposals for Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries, and their provisional proposals for Regional boundaries. It had been anticipated these would have been available for the Council to consider today, but it is understood they will not now be available until later in May. The report therefore invites the Council to consider possible arrangements for considering the proposals and responding.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

(1) That the Council notes the impending publication, by the Boundary Commission for Scotland, of revised proposals for Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries, and provisional proposals for Scottish Parliament Regional boundaries;

(2) Pending receipt of the proposals, the Council notes the possibility that the matter will require to be considered either by the Executive and/or the Council, possibly at a special meeting if the Council wishes to respond;

(3) In the meantime remits to the Director of Corporate Services in consultation with the Council Leader and the Leader of the other political groups to facilitate consideration of the Commission’s proposals and to take such actions as may be necessary to represent the Council’s interests.

3. DETAIL

In February 2008 the Boundary Commission for Scotland published provisional proposals for revised constituencies for the Scottish Parliament. The current constituencies for the Scottish Parliament were defined in 1995. At present the Council area is divided between two Scottish Parliament constituencies as follows:-

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Constituency Designation Description

Argyll and Bute County Constituency Argyll and Bute Council Electoral Wards 1-8

Dumbarton County Constituency Argyll and Bute Council Wards 9, 10 & 11 plus Electoral Wards in West Council area

4. The Provisional proposals originally published in February 2008 envisaged the following constituencies, against an electoral quota of 54,728 –

Constituency Designation July 2007 Description Electorate Argyll and Bute County 55,240 Argyll and Bute Council Constituency Wards 1-9

Dumbarton & County 57,040 Argyll and Bute Council Constituency Wards 10 & 11 plus Council Wards 1-4

5. The effect of these proposals was that Argyll and Bute Council Ward 9 (Lomond North) would transfer out of the current Dumbarton constituency into the proposed Argyll and Bute constituency. These provisional proposals meant that the electorate in the Argyll and Bute constituency would be +512 above the theoretical quota; the figure in the Dumbarton & Helensburgh constituency would be +2312.

6. West Dunbartonshire Council also objected to the proposals, and there were many objections across Scotland to the Boundary Commission’s proposed constituencies. The Commission set up public local inquiries undertaken by an Assistant Commissioner (the relevant Sheriff Principal). This Council was represented by local Councillors from Helensburgh and Lomond. This followed a decision by the Council to lodge an objection to the Boundaries Commission’s proposals. The Council’s position was that -

(1) One constituency co-terminus with the Council’s boundaries would enhance arrangements for effective liaison between the Council and members of the UK and Scottish Parliaments through the provision of a common constituency, both in the interests of the Council and also of

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the MP and the MSP in terms of their constituency work with the Council.

(2) Common UK and Scottish Parliament constituency and Council boundaries would assist members of the public in Argyll and Bute in their understanding of those who represent them at local government and parliamentary levels.

(3) Commonality of boundaries would enhance the cohesiveness of the people of Argyll and Bute as a community within common Council and UK and Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries.

(4) Commonality of constituency and Council boundaries would assist the efficient administration and effective conduct of elections.

7. The Boundary Commission will publish in the near future its revised proposals for constituency boundaries and its provisional proposals for Regional boundaries. There is only a statutory one month period to make representations in response to the Boundary Commission’s proposals, and the Council therefore needs to put in place arrangements to enable representations to be made if the Council wishes to make them. It is not known exactly when the Council will receive the proposals. The next meeting of the Council is not until 25 June and if the Boundary Commission’s proposals are received before 25 May, the matter would either require to be considered at the June meeting of the Executive and/or a special meeting of the Council would require to be called. Depending on the timing of the receipt of the proposals this could be on 21 May (the day of the Executive meeting) or at another time. In the meantime, it is suggested that it is remitted to the Director of Corporate Services in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the other political groups to facilitate consideration of the proposals which are received and to take actions that may be necessary to represent the Council’s interests.

Nigel Stewart Director of Corporate Services 23 April 2009

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