Boundary Committee for England
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The Boundary Committee for England is an independent body in England responsible for defining borders for local elections; and for conducting reviews of local government areas. It is a committee of the Electoral Commission.
Between 2000 and 2003 it (or its predecessor the Local Government Commission for England) reviewed and proposed changes in the electoral arrangements for all district and unitary councils in England. The changes have been implemented as and when the respective authorities came up for one of their regular elections; the last will be implemented on June 10, 2004, apart from Stockton-on-Tees which was delayed by additional local consultation.
Since July 2002 the Committee has been reviewing electoral arrangements for County Council areas. As of May, 2004 this work is ongoing. Implementation is expected at the elections on May 5, 2005.
The Committee was also requested to draw up proposals for systems of unitary government in the North West England, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, to be implemented if proposals for elected Regional Assemblies were approved by referendum. Draft proposals were produced for consultation on December 1, 2003 and final proposals were released on May 25, 2004. See Subdivisions of England#Proposed changes for details.
On Thursday 4 November 2004 the referendum for the North East decided by a margin of 78% to 22% against an elected regional assembly. On 8 November the Deputy Prime Minister announced "I will not therefore be bringing forward orders for referendums in either the North West, or Yorkshire and the Humber".
- Statement by Deputy Prime Minister (http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_about/documents/page/odpm_about_032697.hcsp)
The equivalent bodies operating in other parts of the United Kingdom are the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland and the Local Government Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland.
External link
- Boundary Committee for England (http://www.boundarycommittee.org.uk/)