Annual Report 2019-20

Outline work programme and budget for 2020-21

Programme

20. The 2020/21 financial year will see the Commission scale up again, and
commence the next scheduled Review of constituencies. As the Government’s
Parliamentary Constituencies Bill – which would amend when and how the
Commission should deliver future Reviews – was about to enter Parliament at the start of the financial year, it was difficult to be certain about the Commission’s workplan and associated budget for the year. However, the budget provisionally agreed with the Cabinet Office is £758,570 and the Commission expects to:

• Continue to respond to requests for information and its specialist views on practical matters relating to the delivery of constituency reviews, as the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill is debated by Parliament;
• By September 2020, secure the appointment of a permanent Secretary to the Commission, to lead the Secretariat through the next Review, with the remainder of the planned headcount recruited and in post by the end of December;
• By the end of November 2020, have procured the specialist software required to develop and analyse prospective revised constituency boundaries and the associated electorates;
• By the end of December 2020, have received and verified the key Parliamentary electorate data to be used in the next Review, allowing the four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions to jointly confirm the initial distribution of constituencies for that Review to the four parts of the UK;
• By the end of January 2021, have begun development of initial proposals for revised constituencies across England, aiming have these ready to publish for consultation in the summer;
• By the end of March 2021, have secured the appointment of Assistant
  Commissioners, to assist the Commissioners during the Review, primarily with analysis of the responses to initial and secondary consultation, and the development of subsequent revised proposals;
• During the course of the year, hold at least three formal meetings to assess progress with the Review and make key decisions, and also be represented at the Annual Meeting of UK Boundary Commissions. One of the planned formal meetings will also include representatives of the Parliamentary political parties in England, to consider their views on the internal policies that the Commission works to in delivering a Review, within the overall framework of the statutory process.

Budget for 2020-21 by subhead