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Initial proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in the South West region

Glossary

AssessorStatutorily appointed technical adviser to the BCE, being either the Registrar General for England and Wales or the Director General of Ordnance Survey.
Assistant CommissionerIndependent person appointed at the request of the BCE to assist it with the discharge of its functions.
Borough constituency (abbreviated to BC)Parliamentary constituency containing a predominantly urban area.
County constituency (abbreviated to CC)Parliamentary constituency containing more than a small rural element.
DesignationClassification as either a borough constituency or as a county constituency.
ElectorateThe number of registered Parliamentary electors in a given area.
(Statutory/Permitted) Electorate rangeThe statutory rule that requires the electorate of every recommended constituency to be – for the 2023 Review – between 69,724 and 77,062.
Final recommendationsThe recommendations submitted in a formal final report to Parliament at the end of a review. They may – or may not – have been revised since the initial proposals in any given area.
Initial proposalsFirst formal proposals published by the BCE during the review for public consultation.
Periodical reportReport to Parliament following a general review of Parliamentary constituencies.
Places of depositIn each constituency the Commission will make available hard copies of its initial proposals (including report and maps). The places of deposit where the public may inspect the proposals are usually the offices of the relevant local authority, although other public places such as libraries may be used. The Commission will publish a full list of places of deposit on its website.
Public hearingFormal opportunity in a given area for people to make oral representations, chaired by an Assistant Commissioner. In each region of England there may be no fewer than two and no more than five hearings, and each may last a maximum of two days.
RepresentationsThe views provided by an individual, group or organisation to the BCE on its initial or revised proposals (or on the representations of others), either for or against, including counter-proposals and petitions.
Review dateThe ‘effective date’ at which electorate and local government boundary data is fixed so that we can then work with it on a stable basis. Defined by the 2020 Act for the 2023 Review as 2 March 2020 for the electorate numbers, and 1 December 2020 for local government boundaries.
Revised proposalsThe initial proposals as subsequently revised.
RulesThe statutory criteria for Parliamentary constituencies under Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended by Acts up to and including the 2020 Act).
UK electoral quotaThe average number of electors in a constituency, found by dividing the total electorate of the UK (less that of the five specific ‘protected’ constituencies) by 645.
Unitary authorityAn area where there is only one tier of local council (above any parish or town council). Contrasted with those ‘shire district’ areas that have two tiers (i.e. both a non-metropolitan county council and a district/borough/city council).
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