Agenda item

Report of the Director: Outcomes.

The Director: Outcomes submitted a report on the outcome for North Lincolnshire following the 2021- 2023 UK Review of Parliamentary Boundaries in England.

The Director in her report explained that the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) commenced the above review in January 2021 and submitted its final report to Parliament in June 2023.  The final report’s recommendations became law through the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 on 15 November 2023, with the revised constituencies to be used for the next Parliamentary (General) Elections (for any by-election that may take place beforehand, existing constituencies were to be used)

Through the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the revised constituencies impacting upon North Lincolnshire were now required in law to be used for the forthcoming Parliamentary (General) Elections. The former constituencies of Brigg and Goole County Constituency and Scunthorpe County Constituency had been replaced with the –

Brigg and Immingham County Constituency,

Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme County Constituency and

Scunthorpe County Constituency

Brigg and Immingham County Constituency included the areas of the North Lincolnshire Council wards used at the time of the review (see paragraph 2.4 of the Director’s report, but will now also include any additional new wards within the constituencies) of Barton, Brigg and Wolds, Broughton and Appleby (now Broughton and Scawby) and Ferry, and North East Lincolnshire Council wards of Humberston and New Waltham, Immingham, Scartho, Waltham and Wolds.

Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme County Constituency included the areas of North Lincolnshire Council wards of Axholme Central, Axholme North and Axholme South and City of Doncaster Council wards of Finningley, Hatfield, Rossington and Bawtry and Thorne and Moorlands.

Scunthorpe County Constituency includes areas of North Lincolnshire Council wards of Ashby, (now Ashby Central and Ashby Lakeside wards) Bottesford, Brumby, Burringham and Gunness, Burton-upon Stather and Winterton, Crosby and Park, Frodingham, Kingsway with Lincoln Gardens, Ridge (now Messingham and Ridge wards) and Town.

Maps of the three new constituency areas were attached as appendices to the report (with more available on the Boundary Commission for England website).

Following enactment of the Review the North Lincolnshire Acting Returning Officer (ARO) for Parliamentary Elections had been informed in law that they would be responsible for elections in the Scunthorpe County Constituency. The ACO for North East Lincolnshire Council being responsible for Brigg and Immingham County Constituency and the ARO for the City of Doncaster Council for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme County Constituency.  (AROs for Parliamentary Elections in county constituencies were usually a named senior officer (Chief Executive) who discharge the functions of Returning Officers whose roles are more ceremonial as the High Sheriff or Sheriff of the county area).

Where a constituency was contained wholly within a single local authority area then electoral law provides that that local authority would provide the Acting Returning Officer for the constituency and deliver parliamentary elections for the constituency. Where a constituency falls within more than one local authority area, the Secretary of State would designate by Order the local authority that would provide the Acting Returning Officer for the constituency (i.e. the lead local authority for the constituency, usually based on it having the greater electorate).

Resolved - That the outcome for North Lincolnshire of the 2021-2023 Review of Parliamentary Boundaries in England, the implementation of the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 and revised constituencies for North Lincolnshire for the next Parliamentary (General) Elections be noted.