THIS REPORT RELATES STIRLING COUNCIL TO ITEM 15 ON THE AGENDA STIRLING COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE 1 DECEMBER 2011 NOT EXEMPT INITIAL PROPOSALS FOR NEW WESTMINISTER CONSTITUENCIES 1 SUMMARY 1.1 The Boundary Commission for Scotland has published its Initial Proposals for UK Parliament Constituencies in Scotland. The proposed changes affect the Westminster constituency covering the Stirling Council area. The initial proposal creates the Stirling and Crieff constituency covering all of the Stirling Council area and the south-west part of Perth and Kinross Council area, Appendix 1. 1.2 The consultation on these initial proposals will last from 13 October 2011 until 4 January 2012. This will be followed by further consultation in 2012 before the Boundary Commission makes its Final Recommendations. 2 OFFICER RECOMMENDATION(S) Council agrees to consider the Boundary Commission for Scotland proposals contained in the sixth review of UK Parliament Constituencies and determine the Council’s response. 3 CONSIDERATIONS 3.1 The UK parliament has decided to reduce the number of UK parliament constituencies from 650 to 600. In Scotland this means that there will be 52 constituencies instead of 59. Of these 2 constituencies are defined in the legislation: Na h-Eileanan an lar and Orkney and Shetland. The remaining constituencies must each have between 72,810 and 80,473 electors. The Commission has also had to ensure that no constituency exceeds the maximum permitted area of 13000 square kilometres. Details are provides in Annex 1. 3.2 Due to the reduction in the number of constituencies and the requirements for nearly equal numbers of electors in each constituency, it has not been possible to leave constituencies as they currently are. In developing its Initial Proposals across Scotland the Commission has stated that it has tried to minimise the number of constituencies which combine parts of different council areas. 3.3 Further information on the Commission’s Initial Proposals can be found on the Commission’s website www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/6th_westminister/ Impact on Stirling Council area 3.4 The existing 59 Westminster constituencies in Scotland came into force in 2005, resulting from the 5th Periodical Review of Parliamentary Constituencies. The existing UK Parliament constituency for Stirling is the same as the Stirling Council area. 3.5 The electorate for the Stirling Council area on 1st December 2010 was 66,743 which is around 6000 electors short of the minimum requirement for the new constituencies. 3.6 The initial proposal from the Boundary Commission for Scotland creates the Stirling and Crieff constituency covering all of the Stirling Council area and the south-west part of Perth and Kinross Council area. The new electorate of 77,614 is made up of 66,743 (86%) from the whole Stirling Council area and 11,080 (14%) from part of the Perth and Kinross Council area. 3.7 The proposed constituency contains all of Stirling Council area and follows ward boundaries in Perth and Kinross council area with 1 exception: ward 7 (Strathallan), where the boundary follows the Glendevon watershed, the A823 road and a community council boundary. A map of the proposed constituency is included at Appendix 2. 3.8 It is proposed that the 110,346 electors in the Perth and Kinross Council area will now form Perth and Kinross-shire (80,410), part of the Dundee West and Gowrie constituency (18,856) with the remaining 11,080 forming part of the Stirling and Crieff constituency. 3.9 To reach the required quota of electors a change from the current arrangements is necessary. It is significant that the Stirling Council area is remaining intact. There is no option other than to encompass part of another council area to reach the required quota of electors. Public Consultation 3.10 A public consultation on the Initial Proposals runs from 13 October 2011 until 4 January 2012. During this period the proposals will be displayed at designated Display Points where members of the public can inspect them and find out how to participate in the consultation. 3.11 As part of the consultation process a series of Public Hearings were held in November. At each hearing the proposals were presented and comments from anyone with an interest was allowed. Transcripts of the public hearings are available to view on the Commission’s website. 3.12 The Boundary Commission is encouraging comments on its proposals to be submitted in writing, by email or via the Commission’s website. All comments will be made available on the Commission’s website. Where comments contain objections to the proposals objectors are requested to identify alternative proposals that take account of the statutory requirements and consider the consequences on the wider area. Further stages 3.13 After the consultation period on the Initial Proposals, comments will be published. A further 4 week secondary consultation period will then be held. 3.14 After the secondary consultation period, all the evidence will be considered and Revised Proposals developed. These will be published for an 8 week consultation period during 2012. 3.15 After the consultation period on the Revised Proposals, the Boundary Commission will develop their Final Recommendations, which will be submitted in their report to the Secretary of State. 4 POLICY/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS Policy Implications Equality Impact Assessment No Strategic Environmental Assessment No Single Outcome Agreement No Diversity (age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation) No Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) No Effect on Council’s green house gas emissions No Effect Strategic/Service Plan No Existing Policy or Strategy No Risk No Resource Implications Financial No People No Land and Property or IT Systems No Consultations Internal or External Consultations Yes Equality Impact Assessment 4.1 The recommendation presented in this report was considered under the Council’s Equalities Impact Assessment process and was assessed as not relevant for the purposes of Equality Impact Assessment. Strategic Environmental Assessment 4.2 The recommendation presented in this report was considered under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and a Strategic Environmental Assessment is not required. Single Outcome Agreement 4.3 The consideration of the boundaries of the UK Parliamentary Constituencies in relation to the Stirling Council area supports the Single Outcome Agreement Strategic Theme B: Encouraging participation and responsibility. Other Policy Implications 4.4 None. Resource Implications 4.5 None. Consultations 4.6 None. Council and Executive Only Tick ( ) to confirm The appropriate Portfolio Holder(s) has been consulted on this report GH The Chief Executive/appropriate Assistant Chief Executive(s) has been BJ consulted on this report 5 BACKGROUND PAPERS 5.1 None. 6 APPENDICES 6.1 Appendix 1 - Table 1: Initial Proposals for New Westminster Constituencies. 6.2 Appendix 2 - Map 1 Stirling and Crieff County Constituency. Author(s) Name Designation Telephone Number/E-mail Paul McNamara Research Officer [email protected] 2724 Andrew Pont Performance and Research [email protected] Team Leader 3338 Approved by Name Designation Signature Bob Jack Chief Executive Date 17/11/11 Service Reference APPENDIX 1 Table 1: Initial Proposals for New Westminster Constituencies Proposed difference from quota area electorate constituency count % (sq. km) Aberdeen North 76,259 -382 -0.5 104.6 Aberdeen South 75,894 -747 -1.0 101.0 Airdrie and Coatbridge South 79,827 3,186 4.2 238.7 Angus East and Kincardine 78,545 1,904 2.5 1,779.9 Argyll, Bute and Lochaber 75,941 -700 -0.9 9,765.0 Banff and Buchan 80,313 3,672 4.8 1,946.1 Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 73,395 -3,246 -4.2 3,764.1 Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty 74,290 -2,351 -3.1 12,829.8 Clackmannanshire and Dunfermline West 80,438 3,797 5.0 382.2 Clydesdale and Larkhall 76,005 -636 -0.8 1,640.1 Cumbernauld and Coatbridge North 79,687 3,046 4.0 105.1 Cupar and St Andrews 80,015 3,374 4.4 724.6 Deeside and Gordon 80,398 3,757 4.9 3,786.7 Dumfries 72,994 -3,647 -4.8 2,937.6 Dundee East and the Glens 76,953 312 0.4 1,056.8 Dundee West and Gowrie 79,159 2,518 3.3 469.3 Dunfermline East 79,240 2,599 3.4 188.9 East Dunbartonshire and Kilsyth 79,211 2,570 3.4 224.6 East Kilbride and Rutherglen 79,807 3,166 4.1 39.2 East Lothian 74,320 -2,321 -3.0 700.9 East Renfrewshire and Hairmyres 80,060 3,419 4.5 199.2 Edinburgh Central and Leith 80,324 3,683 4.8 23.0 Edinburgh East 80,271 3,630 4.7 40.3 Edinburgh South West 80,331 3,690 4.8 114.7 Edinburgh West 80,321 3,680 4.8 95.0 Falkirk 80,426 3,785 4.9 168.8 Galloway and Carrick 75,146 -1,495 -2.0 4,742.2 Glasgow Central 72,842 -3,799 -5.0 16.6 Glasgow East 75,178 -1,463 -1.9 32.2 Glasgow North East 73,991 -2,650 -3.5 38.9 Glasgow North West 72,944 -3,697 -4.8 29.2 Glasgow South East 80,468 3,827 5.0 29.4 Glasgow South West 73,039 -3,602 -4.7 30.0 Hamilton 74,455 -2,186 -2.9 69.4 Inverclyde 77,647 1,006 1.3 232.2 Inverness and Skye 79,865 3,224 4.2 8,722.6 Kilmarnock and Loudoun 75,001 -1,640 -2.1 695.4 Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes 79,483 2,842 3.7 242.1 Kyle and Cumnock 78,192 1,551 2.0 805.9 Linlithgow and Falkirk East 80,155 3,514 4.6 304.9 Livingston 80,228 3,587 4.7 272.8 Midlothian and Tweeddale 77,563 922 1.2 1,333.9 Moray and Strathspey 76,722 81 0.1 4,587.1 Motherwell, Wishaw and Bellshill 79,551 2,910 3.8 70.3 Na h-Eileanan an Iar 21,837 -54,804 -71.5 3,268.6 North Ayrshire and Arran 73,760 -2,881 -3.8 575.0 Orkney and Shetland 33,755 -42,886 -56.0 2,742.8 Paisley and Renfrew 73,357 -3,284 -4.3 65.0 Perth and Kinross-shire 80,410 3,769 4.9 4,238.7 Renfrewshire South and Largs 73,529 -3,112 -4.1 474.9 Stirling and Crieff 77,823 1,182 1.5 3,001.4 West Dunbartonshire and Bearsden 77,614 973 1.3 190.9 Total 3,928,979 80,238.6 Note: 2 island constituencies are set as Na h-Eileanan an lar and Orkney and Shetland .