Agenda Item: 5 Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM (AMBER) SPECIAL ADVISORY GROUP Date: 28 October 2011 Portfolio(s) ALL Originating Service Group(s) DELIVERY Contact Officer(s)/ SUSAN KEMBREY KEY DECISION: YES Telephone Number(s) 4300 IN FORWARD PLAN: YES Title BOUNDARY COMMISSION REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES – WEST MIDLANDS REGION CONSULTATION ON INITIAL PROPOSALS Recommendation (a) That the initial proposals of the Boundary Commission for England for the review of Parliamentary Constituencies in the West Midland region England as detailed in Sections 2 and 3 of the report be noted (b) That the Special Advisory Group recommend Cabinet to invite the three political groups to formulate their individual views on the proposals set out in the consultation paper for submission to the Boundary Commission direct. 1 1.0 PURPOSE 1.1 To advise of the consultation exercise on the initial proposals of the Boundary Commission for the review of Parliamentary Constituencies in the West Midland region and the date to respond to the consultation. 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is an independent and impartial non- departmental public body which is responsible for reviewing Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England. The BCE conduct a review of all the constituencies in England every five years. Their role is to make recommendations to Parliament for new constituency boundaries. The BCE is currently conducting a review of all Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England based on new rules laid down by Parliament. These rules involve a reduction in the number of constituencies in England (from 533 to 502) and stipulate that every constituency, apart from two specific exemptions, must have an electorate no smaller than 72,810 and no larger than 80,473. A copy of the BCE Initial Proposals document and West Midlands Constituency Breakdown is attached at Appendices 1 and 2. 2.2 The Commission sought local authority views on the proposed review of parliamentary constituencies during the early part of 2011. A report was submitted to Cabinet on 23 March 2011 when it was resolved:- “That authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer to submit a formal response to the Boundary Commission that the Council is keen to maintain a sub regional commitment in the number of its MP’s not being impacted upon by any methodology used by the Commission for the initial allocation of constituencies.” 2.3 Following the consultation, the Commission has now published their initial proposals for the new boundaries and these are available for public viewing at the Electoral Registration Office in the Civic Centre and at Wednesfield Library, as well as on the Council’s and the Commission’s websites. 2.4 In accordance with the provisions of Part 3/56 (3) of the Constitution, the terms of reference of the Special Advisory Group include responsibility to “consider and advise the appropriate Council body on elections and electoral arrangements, including boundary reviews”. The ‘appropriate Council body’ for this purpose is the Cabinet in accordance with Part 3/3 (1.9) of the Constitution which delegates to Cabinet the responsibility “to advise the Council on Parliamentary and boundary matters and the Council’s functions relating to European, Parliamentary and local elections’. 3.0 BOUNDARY COMMISSION PROPOSALS 3.1 As Special Advisory Group will know, Wolverhampton currently has three Parliamentary constituencies, namely Wolverhampton North East, South East and South West. Of these, Wolverhampton South East, contains one ward, Coseley East, from the Borough of Dudley. These constituencies currently contain the following Wards:- Wolverhampton North East Bushbury North Bushbury South and Low Hill Fallings Park Heath Town Oxley Wednesfield North Wednesfield South 2 Wolverhampton South East Bilston East Bilston North Blakenhall East Park Ettingshall Spring Vale Coseley East Wolverhampton South West Graiseley Merry Hill Park Penn St Peter’s Tettenhall Regis Tettenhall Wightwick 3.2 The Boundary Commission’s proposals will create two constituencies, namely, Wolverhampton North and Wolverhampton South, which are wholly contained within the City. 3.3 As a consequence of these proposed changes, Wolverhampton North will contain seven wards from the existing Wolverhampton North East constituency and the two wards of Bilston North and East Park that are in the existing Wolverhampton South East constituency. 3.4 The proposed Wolverhampton South constituency contains all the wards that are in the existing Wolverhampton South West constituency, but with the inclusion of the wards of Blakenhall and Ettingshall, which are in the existing Wolverhampton South East constituency. Two City of Wolverhampton wards, Bilston East and Spring Vale, are included in constituencies that largely contain wards from other boroughs. The Boundary Commission’s proposals would see Bilston East Ward being contained within the proposed Walsall South Constituency and the Spring Vale Ward being included in the proposed Dudley West Constituency. The effect is as follows:- Wolverhampton North Bilston North Bushbury North Bushbury South and Low Hill East Park Fallings Park Heath Town Oxley Wednesfield North Wednesfield South Wolverhampton South Blakenhall Ettingshall Graiseley Merry Hill Park Penn St Peter’s Tettenhall Regis Tettenhall Wightwick 3 3.5 The Commission are currently consulting on their initial proposals up until 5 December 2011 and are particularly interested in – • Whether there is agreement, either in part or in full, with the initial proposals for the West Midlands region (See pages 3 & 9 of the Initial Proposals booklet set out in Appendix 1 of the report) • Which sub regions are acceptable and why (See page 9, paragraph 23 of the Initial Proposals booklet) • Which sub regions are not acceptable and why (See bullet point 2 above) • Whether alternatives can be proposed for areas that are not acceptable, that meet the statutory rules set out in the initial proposals report. 3.6 Responses to the consultation should be submitted to the Boundary Commission by 5 December 2011 to:- Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ. or by email to: [email protected] 3.7 Special Advisory Group is asked to consider the proposals of the BCE and to make appropriate recommendations to Cabinet at its meeting on 16 November 2011. It is expected that the three political groups on the Council will wish to submit individual representations to the BCE consultation and SAG may consider that any recommendations should reflect that position. 4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 4.1 This report contains no direct financial implications for the Council. [GE/12102011/U] 5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 This report contains no direct legal implications for the Council. [LL/12102011/Y] 6.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS 6.1 This report contains no direct equalities implications for the Council . 7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS 7.1 This report contains no direct environmental implications for the Council direct environmental implications. Schedule of Background Papers Boundary Commission for England Initial Proposals Consultation Document Boundary Commission for England Initial Proposals - Constituency Breakdown Tables 4 West Midlands Initial proposals Contents Initial proposals summary.............................................................................. 3 1. What is the Boundary Commission for England? ........... 5 2. Background to the 2013 Review...................................................... 6 3. Initial proposals for the West Midlands region ................ 9 Initial proposals for the Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Worcestershire sub-region ............................................................................................................ 10 Initial proposals for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent sub-region ........................ 11 Initial proposals for the Warwickshire and the West Midlands sub-region ................ 12 4. How to have your say ................................................................................. 17 Annex: Initial proposals for constituencies, including wards and electorates........................................................................................20 Glossary ............................................................................................................................34 Initial proposals summary Who we are and what we do region is determined by the electorate of the combined local authorities. The Boundary Commission for England is an independent and impartial non-departmental public body which is responsible for reviewing Sub-region Existing Proposed Parliamentary constituency boundaries in allocation allocation England. Herefordshire, 13 12 Shropshire, 2013 Review Telford and We have the task of periodically reviewing Wrekin, and the boundaries of all the Parliamentary Worcestershire constituencies in England. We are currently Staffordshire 12 11 conducting a review on the basis of new rules and Stoke-on- laid down by Parliament. These rules involve Trent a significant reduction in the number of Warwickshire 34 31 constituencies in England (from 533 to 502), and West and require that every constituency – apart Midlands from two specified exceptions – must have an electorate that is no smaller than 72,810 and In Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin, two of no larger than 80,473