In accordance with the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020, the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland has reviewed the Parliamentary constituency boundaries, and submitted its Final Recommendations Report on 27th June 2023. This Report was laid before Parliament by the Speaker of the House of Commons. The draft Order in Council giving effect to the new Parliamentary constituency boundaries recommendations was submitted by the Government to the Privy Council Office on 27th October 2023 and approved at the Privy Council on 15th November 2023.
In line with its statutory duties, the Commission published its Initial Proposals for consultation on 20th October 2021 and this consultation closed on 15th December 2021. The secondary consultation, which included three public hearings, opened on 9th February 2022 and closed on 23rd March 2022. The Commission has published written representations received during the initial consultation period, and written representations and records of the public hearings made during the secondary consultation period, on its website.
Having considered the written representations received during the initial and secondary consultation periods, and the records of the hearings, the Commission revised its proposals and the third statutory consultation period took place between 17th November and 15th December 2022. The Commission has published the written representations it received during the third consultation period.
Taking into account representations received throughout the 2023 Boundary Review process, the Commission has considered what final recommendations to make for Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland. In line with the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended), the Commission’s Final Recommendations Report was submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons on 27th June 2023. The Speaker has laid the Reports of all four Boundary Commissions before Parliament, and the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland has now published its Final Recommendations Report. An interactive map showing the recommended constituencies is also available.
The draft Order in Council giving effect to the new Parliamentary constituency boundaries recommendations was submitted by the Government to the Privy Council Office on 27th October 2023 and approved at the Privy Council on 15th November 2023. The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 comes into force on 29th November 2023, and the new boundaries will take effect at the next UK Parliamentary election called after this date.
The Act provides that the next review report is to be submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons before 1st October 2031.