The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies and Regions) Order 2010

This Order gives effect, without modifications, to the recommendations contained in the Report on the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries by the Boundary Commission for Scotland dated May 2010. The report is available on the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s website (www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk) or in hard copy from The Stationery Office (www.tso.co.uk Tel: 0870 600 5522).

The Order defines the name, status and area of 71 of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies and the name and area of each Scottish Parliament region. (The Orkney Islands constituency and the Shetland Islands constituency are not included in the Order because Schedule 1 to the Scotland Act 1998 provides for them directly.)

The Order comes into force on the day after it is made (article 1(2)). It does not affect the return of any member to the Parliament or its constitution until the Parliament is dissolved (paragraph 6(7) of Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act). It does apply to any proceedings which occur before dissolution but which relate to a poll which will take place after dissolution.

The 71 constituencies are named and defined by article 4 read together with Schedule 1. The area of each constituency is described in geographical information system data stored on a set of DVD-ROMs. Copies of the DVD-ROMs are deposited with the Boundary Commission for Scotland (see their website for contact details). Maps of the boundaries are available on the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s website and hard copies can be requested by writing to the Commission. The local government wards (and part wards) which fall within the constituencies are listed in the appendices to the Boundary Commission’s report. Indicative maps of the constituencies are included in this note, grouped by council area as follows:-

• Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Moray

• Aberdeen City (detail)

• Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire

• East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire (detail)

• Clackmannanshire and Stirling

• Dumfries and Galloway

• Dundee City

• East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire

• East Lothian, Midlothian and Scottish Borders

• East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire

• City of Edinburgh

• Na h-Eileanan an Iar

• Falkirk

• Fife

• Glasgow City

• Highland

• North Ayrshire

• North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire

• Perth and Kinross; and

• West Lothian.

Each constituency is (by article 5 and Schedule 1) given the status of a burgh constituency or a county constituency. That status is relevant to the application of rules governing the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament (provided for under section 12 of the 1998 Act).

The regions are named and defined by article 6 read together with Schedule 2. An indicative map of the regions is included at the end of this note.

Article 3 amends Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act so that the constituencies and regions are defined by reference to this Order.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on business or the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.