Frequently Asked Questions - The Commission

What is the Boundary Commission for Scotland?
We are a public body which is responsible for determining constituency boundaries for Scotland. There's more information on the home page of this website.

What does the Commission do?
We review constituencies in Scotland for the UK Parliament, and constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament. We make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is responsible for putting those recommendations into practice. Our job is defined by the law surrounding our work.

Who is on the Commission?
Our Chairman is 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 our members on the website. We are supported by a Secretariat made up of a small number of staff. The website has contact details for us and our Secretariat at the bottom of each page.

Who funds the Boundary Commission for Scotland?
We are funded through the Scotland Office.

What about other parts of the United Kingdom?
We are 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 supports both Commissions, and so the address and phone numbers for both Commissions are the same.

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 United Kingdom Parliament, including the Commission.