division_name: Parliamentary Constituencies Bill &#8212; New Clause 1 - Electorate per constituency
motion: <p class="indent" pid="c1419.3/5" pwmotiontext="yes">This new clause seeks to instruct the Boundary Commission to aim for 5% above or below the electoral quota calculated in accordance with Schedule 2 rule 2(3) of the 1986 Act; but widens the permissible range in a constituency&#8216;s electorate up to 7.5% above or below the electoral quota in difficult cases where it is necessary to do so to take proper account of all the considerations in rule 5 of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act. It will be at the Boundary Commission&#8216;s discretion whether to apply the wider flexibility in specific cases, in order to comply with the rule 5 considerations such as to maintain local and community ties, or to prevent the division of wards.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.5/10" pwmotiontext="yes">This new clause seeks to protect representation in the devolved nations by securing a minimum number of constituencies in each of the devolved nations.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.5/12" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8216;In rule 9(2) of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act, for &#8220;whose names appear on the relevant version of a register of parliamentary electors&#8221; substitute &#8220;who are estimated by the Electoral Commission to be eligible to vote in an election, were they to register&#8221;&#8217;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.5/13" pwmotiontext="yes">This new clause would change the definition of &#8216;electorate&#8217; to include all potential electors, both those who are on an electoral roll and those who are not.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.5/15" pwmotiontext="yes">This amendment aims to maintain the status quo of parliamentary oversight within the boundary review process.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.6/7" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Prerogative business made on the advice of the Privy Council by Order in Council is not subject to parliamentary procedure and relates almost exclusively to the affairs of Chartered bodies.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.6/10" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;perfectly possible for a future House of Commons&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1419.6/12" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;&#8216;Actually, we should delay it&#8217;, and all they need to do is to introduce a quick piece of primary legislation to overturn it.&#8221;&#8211;&#8211;[Official Report, Parliamentary Constituencies Public Bill Committee, <phrase class="date" code="2020-06-23">23 June</phrase> 2020; c. 94, Q176.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1421.0/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;aims to maintain the status quo&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1423.2/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;much harder to have regard to the other factors&#8230;such as the importance of not breaking local ties, and having regard to local authority boundaries and features of natural geography.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1423.2/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Basically, the smaller you make the tolerance, the fewer options we have&#8230;The larger you make it, the more options we have and the more flexibility&#8230;to have regard to the other factors&#8221;.&#8211;&#8211;[Official Report, Parliamentary Constituencies Public Bill Committee, <phrase class="date" code="2020-06-18">18 June</phrase> 2020; c. 7, Q3.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1434.2/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Electoral constituencies should be drawn in a manner that preserves equality among voters. Thus, the law should require that constituencies be drawn in such a way that each constituency has approximately the same population size&#8230;The manner in which constituencies are drawn should not circumvent the principle of equal suffrage, which is a cornerstone of democratic elections.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1435.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the maximum admissible departure from the distribution criterion&#8230;should seldom exceed 10 per cent&#8221;&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1435.2/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;and never 15 per cent, except in really exceptional circumstances&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1440.3/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;a ward is a unit of electoral administration&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1447.0/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Virginia having you as our MP is like having a window on Westminster. You have clearly fallen in love with the island&#8212;and we are falling in love with you.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1457.2/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;I think the valleys will present a unique challenge for us, because you do not really want to split a valley and have half in one seat and the other half in another seat.&#8221;&#8211;&#8211;[Official Report, Parliamentary Constituencies Public Bill Committee, <phrase class="date" code="2020-06-18">18 June</phrase> 2020; c. 20, Q35.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="c1465.1/12" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;It is probably better that MPs set the terms of the exercise for the Boundary Commission behind a veil of ignorance&#8230;without knowing exactly what the particular outcomes would be for them as individual MPs.&#8221;&#8211;&#8211;[Official Report, Parliamentary Constituencies Public Bill Committee, <phrase class="date" code="2020-06-18">18 June</phrase> 2020; c. 57, Q117.]</p>