Frequently Asked Questions
Top of page | About the Commission | Constituencies and postcodes | The process of reviews | TechnicalAbout the Commission
What is the Boundary Commission for Scotland?
The Boundary Commission for Scotland is a public body which is responsible for determining constituency boundaries for Scotland. There's more information on the home page of the Commission's website.
What does the Commission do?
The Commission reviews constituencies in Scotland for the Westminster Parliament, and constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament. It makes recommendations to the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is responsible for putting those recommendations into practice. The Commission's job is defined by the law surrounding its work.
Who is on the Commission?
The Commission is formally chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons. In practice, meetings are chaired by the Deputy Chairman who is a Judge of the Court of Session. There are two other Commissioners, and two Assessors, who are the Registrar General for Scotland and the Director General of Ordnance Survey. There are details of who the Commissioners are on the website. The Commission is supported by a Secretariat made up of a small number of staff. The website has contact details for the Commission and the Secretariat.
Who funds the Boundary Commission?
The Boundary Commission is funded through the Scotland Office.
What about other parts of the United Kingdom?
The Boundary Commission for Scotland is only responsible for constituencies in Scotland. There are similar Commissions for England, for Wales and for Northern Ireland. There are links to the websites of each of those organisations on this website.
What's the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, and is it anything to do with you?
The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland is a separate body which is responsible for reviewing electoral ward and local authority area boundaries for Scotland. Full details are available on the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland website. The Secretariat support both Commissions, and so the address and phone numbers for both Commissions are the same.
Constituencies and postcodes
Why do you change constituencies?
The rules for constituencies require that there should be similar numbers of voters in each constituency, and that constituency boundaries should take account of local authority boundaries. Since the population in different parts of Scotland changes over time, and also local government boundaries change, constituency boundaries have to be reviewed to reflect those changes. The website has full details of the law, including the rules for designing constituencies.
How often do you review constituencies?
We are required to review constituency boundaries between every 8 and 12 years. The legislation sets those timescales, and the website has full details of the law about our work. The current review of Scottish Parliament constituencies began in July 2007, and the last review of Westminster constituencies reported in November 2004.
Why am I in different constituencies for the Scottish Parliament and the Westminster Parliament?
For the Scottish Parliament, the number of constituencies is fixed by legislation as 73. For the Westminster Parliament, the law is different, and there are currently 59 constituencies. Therefore, the 2 sets of constituencies are unrelated to each other. Details of the legislation that determines the numbers of constituencies are available on the website.
How can I find out which constituencies or parliamentary region a postcode is in?
We have a Search section on this website which allows you to find out what constituency or parliamentary region corresponds to a postcode, and download maps of those areas. Alternatively, both Parliament websites have a facility to look up the constituency for a postcode - follow these links for the Scottish Parliament or the UK Parliament.
The process of reviews
What is the process for reviewing constituencies?
The process that we follow for a review is largely defined by the law. For the current review of Scottish Parliament constituencies, we have produced a Descriptive Booklet explaining the process which is available through that Review's webpage. For the last review of Westminster Parliament constituencies, there is a similar Booklet available through the webpage for that review. The process can be summarised as:
- the Commission develops provisional proposals
- those proposals are published for public consultation
- the Commission considers all representations made, holds local inquiries and produces revised recommendations if necessary
- the revised recommendations are published for public consultation
- the Commission considers any further representations made
- the Commission submits its report.
How do I find out what is going on?
We publish information about our current work on our website through the News and Reviews in Progress sections. We also produce News Releases which appear in newspapers. We also place formal "Statutory Notices" in newspapers at key stages of any review. At the public consultation stages of reviews, maps and other information about our proposals are available for inspection at locations such as public libraries and council offices.
What determines if a local inquiry is held?
A local inquiry is held depending on the comments received during a consultation. The law sets out that if a large number of objections are received, or if a local authority objects, then a local inquiry has to be held. The Commission can also decide that there should be a local inquiry even if those criteria are not met. The legislation governing the Commission's work is available on the website.
What are the rules for designing constituencies?
The rules for designing constituencies are set out in the law, and include the aim to produce constituencies whose electorate is as close to the average as practical, and the need to take account of local authority boundaries. Details of the legislation that sets those rules are available on the website.
Can I have a say?
Yes. The public consultation process is designed to allow everyone to express their view, for or against, on the Commission's proposals. You can do this by letter or email, using the contact details for the Commission given on the website. Views in support of the Commission's proposals are as important as those against.
How can I complain if I feel the Commission has not acted correctly?
If you have a complaint about our work, please discuss it with us. If after doing so you remain dissatisfied, you should ask your MP to send your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman which is the public body responsible for investigating complaints against public bodies answerable to the Westminster Parliament, including the Commission.
Technical
How can I download files and information from the website?
Most of our files and information are available in PDF format. Many computers are set up to handle PDF files automatically. If you need assistance, read the questions below.
How do I use PDF files on my computer?
To read PDF files, your computer needs to have the appropriate software installed. The usual software for handling PDF files is Adobe Reader (sometimes also known as Acrobat Reader) which is distributed free of charge by Adobe. If you do not have Adobe Reader software, click on the logo on the right to download a copy from the Adobe web site.
Why does it take a long time to view a PDF map?
Many of our maps contain a lot of detail, and so are very large files. With large files, there may be a considerable delay while the file is downloaded to your computer before anything appears. Sometimes the file does not display at all - see the next question for help with this.
Why does my web browser fail to display some of the maps? What can I do about this?
With the appropriate software installed, PDF files will normally display in your web browser, but large files sometimes do not display. Many of our maps contain a lot of detail, and so are very large files. For large files, it is safer and more reliable to download the file, rather than viewing them in your web browser. Once downloaded, the file selected can be opened, viewed and printed out with the appropriate software. To download a file:
- right click on the PDF icon for the map you wish to view
- select Save Target As ... (Internet Explorer) or Save Link As (Netscape) or Download Link to Disk (Macintosh users) from the drop-down menu
- choose a convenient location to save the file locally
- click save and wait for the file to fully download
- navigate to the saved file, and open it.
I am using Adobe Reader version 8. I have tried to download maps using the method above without success. Can you help?
Users of Adobe Reader 8 who are experiencing difficulty in viewing maps may wish to try the following:
- Open Adobe Reader
- Select the Edit menu
- Select Preferences
- Under Categories on the left hand side, select Internet
- Uncheck the 3 boxes
- "Display PDF in Browser"
- "Allow fast Webview"
- "Allow speculative downloading in the background"
- Select the relevant connection speed for your machine
- Click OK - you will then be asked to reboot your machine
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