In accordance with the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020, the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland is required to review Parliamentary constituency boundaries and submit its final report with recommendations before 1 July 2023.
Public consultation is an important part of the 2023 Review. In line with its statutory duties, the Commission published its Initial Proposals for consultation on 20 October 2021 and this consultation closed on 15 December 2021. The secondary consultation, which included three public hearings, opened on 9 February 2022 and closed on 23 March 2022.
After the end of the secondary consultation period, the Commission will publish the records of the public hearings on its website. It will also publish any written representations received. Following the publication of these representations and records, there will be a further 4-week period during which individuals and organisations can submit written comments with respect to representations made at the public hearings. This is the third consultation period, which is expected to take place in autumn 2022.
Having considered the written representations received during the initial and secondary consultation periods, and the records of the hearings, the Commission will decide whether and to what extent it will revise its initial proposals. If it decides to revise its initial proposals, it will publish the revised proposals and an accompanying report before the start of the third consultation period. Written representations with respect to any revised proposals can also be made during the 4-week third consultation period.
Detailed information about the third consultation period, including how you can make a written representation, will be announced on the Commission’s website and social media at the appropriate time. For further information about the statutory process, please see the Guide to the 2023 Review, which is available at www.boundarycommission.org.uk/publications/guide-2023-review.