The Commission

Functions and appointments | Current members | Past members

Functions

The Commission is responsible for reviews of:

constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament; and
constituencies in Scotland for the Westminster Parliament.

The Commission is an Advisory Non-departmental Public Body sponsored and wholly funded by the Scotland Office. It is an independent, non-political body constituted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. The Commission's duties and powers are detailed in that Act, and in Schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 1998 as amended. Full details of the legislation surrounding the work of the Commission are available on the Legislation page of this website.

The Chairman is the Speaker of the House of Commons, although the Speaker takes no part in the proceedings of the Commission. The Commission's work is led by the Deputy Chairman who is a Court of Session judge appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session. The 2 other members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland through a public appointments process. In addition, the Director General of Ordnance Survey and the Registrar General for Scotland are ex-officio Assessors to the Commission.

The Commission is supported in its work by a small Secretariat.

Appointments

Appointments to the Boundary Commission for Scotland are made under Schedule 1 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. The Act specifies that the ex-officio Chair of the Commission is the Speaker of the House of Commons, as is the case for the parliamentary boundary commissions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Deputy Chairman of the Commission is a judicial appointment made by the Lord President of the Court of Session. This post is unpaid.

The two other Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland, following procedures approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, for a period of 4 years, with the possibility of renewal. These posts receive a per diem remuneration, plus expenses. It is usual for vacant posts to be advertised in the national press and be subject to a process of selection and interview by a panel including the Deputy Chairman, a representative of the Scotland Office and a representative of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The final appointment is made by the Secretary of State for Scotland.