Date: 5 October 2016 Please note the earlier start time Town Hall, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 7QF Tel: 01768 817817 Email: [email protected] Dear Sir/Madam Special Scrutiny Co-ordinating Board Agenda - 13 October 2016 Notice is hereby given that a special meeting of the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Board will be held at 6.00 pm on Thursday, 13 October 2016 at the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Penrith. 1 Apologies for Absence 2 Declarations of Interest To receive declarations of the existence and nature of any private interests, both disclosable pecuniary and any other registrable interests, in any matter to be considered or being considered. 3 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies (Pages 3 - 48) To consider report G30/16 of the Deputy Chief Executive which is attached and which is to inform Members of the proposals of the Boundary Commission for England in relation to the 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies and how they will affect Cumbria and Eden in particular, and to determine a means to enable the Council’s response to the consultation on them. RECOMMENDATION: That Members comment upon the proposals of the Boundary Commission with a view to recommending a response to Council. 4 Any Other Items which the Chairman decides are urgent 5 Date of Next Scheduled Meeting Yours faithfully M Neal Deputy Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) Matthew Neal www.eden.gov.uk Deputy Chief Executive Democratic Services Contact: L Rushen Please Note: Access to the internet in the Council Chamber and Committee room is available via the guest wi-fi – no password is required Encs For Attention All members of the Council Chairman – Councillor Mrs S Orchard (Conservative Group) Vice Chairman – Councillor Mrs J Raine (Conservative Group) Councillors Miss P Breen, Conservative Group Mrs M Robinson, Independent Group I Chambers, Conservative Group M Smith, Independent Group A Connell, Liberal Democrat Group J G Thompson, Conservative Group J Derbyshire, Liberal Democrat Group Standing Deputies D Holden, Liberal Democrat Group M Tonkin, Independent Group J Owen MBE, Conservative Group R Sealby, Conservative Group J Tompkins, Liberal Democrat Group D Banks, Independent Group www.eden.gov.uk 2 Agenda Item 3 Report No G30/16 Eden District Council Scrutiny Co-ordinating Board 13 October 2016 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies Reporting Officer: Deputy Chief Executive Responsible Portfolio: Resources 1 Purpose of Report 1.1 To inform Members of the proposals of the Boundary Commission for England in relation to the 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies and how they will affect Cumbria and Eden in particular, and to determine a means to enable the Council’s response to the consultation on them. 2 Recommendation: That Members comment upon the proposals of the Boundary Commission with a view to recommending a response to Council. 3 Report Details 3.1 The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has the task of periodically reviewing all Parliamentary constituencies in England. A review is currently being undertaken in accordance with rules laid down by Parliament. 3.2 The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended) now requires there to be a fixed number of 600 constituencies for the whole of the UK. The number of constituencies allocated to England for the 2018 Review is 501, two of which are expressly reserved for the Isle of Wight. The North West region is given an allocation of 68 constituencies (75 existing). 3.3 The BCE will allocate the specified number of constituencies within the relevant region, ensuring that each constituency is wholly contained within it. There would need to be compelling reasons to depart from this assumption. 3.4 The requirements for this review are that every constituency must have an electorate, as at the review date, that is no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507. The Commission may take into account other factors, specifically: Special geographical considerations, including in particular the size, shape and accessibility of a constituency; Local government boundaries as they existed on 7 May 2015; Boundaries of existing constituencies; and 1 Page 3 Any local ties that would be broken by changes in constituencies. 3.5 The Penrith and the Border Constituency had an electorate of 64,324 as at 1 December 2015. The constituency currently comprises the Council’s administrative boundaries, along with the City of Carlisle Wards of Brampton, Great Corby and Geltsdale, Hayton, Irthington, Longtown and Rockcliffe, Lyne and Stanwix Rural and the District of Allerdale Wards of Warnell and Wigton. 3.6 The Timetable for the 2018 Review 3.7 The initial proposals have recently been published and the proposals for the North West (which include the Cumbria sub-region) are attached to this report as Appendix 1. The proposals include five constituencies entirely contained in the County of Cumbria. 3.8 It should be noted that Council approved a response to previous proposals from the BCE on 1 December 2011. The Council’s consultation response was identical to the latest proposals issued by the BCE save that the BCE have not agreed with the Council’s suggestion that Dalston (within Carlisle City Council area) should be within Penrith and Solway Constituency. 3.9 The initial consultation process is over a period of twelve weeks. There will be five public hearings in the North West at which people can give their views. Written responses can be made within this twelve week period. Once the consultation has closed the Commission will collate all of the responses received, including the transcripts of the public hearings. 3.10 Any revised proposals must be published and consulted upon. Once the consultation process has been completed, the Commission will consider all the evidence which has been received with final recommendations being made to Parliament in September 2018. The proposals will then be debated in Parliament following which it will be determined what, if any, changes will be made to the Parliamentary Constituencies. 3.11 The next meeting of Council is not until 10 November 2016. It is considered that the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Board is an appropriate Committee to commence the process of establishing the Council’s stance on the proposals. 4 Policy Framework 4.1 The Council has four corporate priorities which are: Decent Homes for All Strong Economy, Rich Environment Thriving Communities Quality Council 2 Page 4 5 Implications 5.1 Legal 5.1.1 The proposals which have been made by the Boundary Commission take account of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies at 2011. The Boundary Commission is operating as an independent and impartial non-departmental public body which is responsible for reviewing Parliamentary Constituency boundaries in England. The Boundary Commission has taken account of the statutory criteria in formulating its proposals and is working within a statutory criteria in formulating its proposals and is working within a statutory framework as set out in this report. Ultimately it will be a matter for Parliament to decide on the nature of the Constituencies which are created or redrawn following the Boundary Commission’s proposals and recommendations. 5.2 Financial 5.2.1 Any decision to reduce or increase resources must be made within the context of the Council’s stated priorities, as set out in its Council Plan 2015- 19 as agreed at Council on 17 September 2015. 5.2.2 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report although indirect costs will be incurred in the time spent by officers and Members in considering the proposals and any response which is made to it. 5.3 Equality and Diversity 5.3.1 The Council has to have regard to the elimination of unlawful discrimination and harassment and the promotion of equality under the Equality Act 2010 and related statutes. 5.3.2 The principal criterion and overarching consideration for the proposals is the desirability of achieving reasonable equality in relation to the size of the proposed electorate. The Commission has used the existing Districts and Wards within those Districts as the building blocks for the proposed Constituencies. The Commission will take account of community interest but this and other factors will be subsidiary to the desirability of achieving a reasonable equality in terms of the numbers of the electorate. 5.4 Environmental 5.4.1 The Council has to have due regard to conserving bio-diversity under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. 5.4.2 There are no implications. 5.5 Crime and Disorder 5.5.1 Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 the Council has to have regard to the need to reduce crime and disorder in exercising any of its functions. 5.5.2 There are no implications. 3 Page 5 5.6 Children 5.6.1 Under the Children Act 2004 the Council has to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the exercise of any of its functions. 5.6.2 There are no implications. 5.7 Risk Management 5.7.1 There is a risk with any changes to constituencies that they result in arrangements that are not workable. The process of enabling Members to influence the recommendations of the Boundary Commission should mitigate against this risk. 6 Reasons for decision/recommendation 6.1 To enable the Boundary Commission’s proposals to be considered by Council. M Neal Deputy Chief Executive Governance Checks: Checked by or on behalf of the Chief Finance Officer Checked by or on behalf of the Monitoring Officer Background Papers: Contact Officer: M Neal Telephone