The Boundary Commission for Scotland today (Thursday 13 September 2012) begins an eight week final consultation period with its Sixth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies. The final consultation period allows comments to be made to the Commission concerning any of its revised proposals for constituencies. The review is taking place in response to the decision by the UK Government to reduce the number of MPs in Scotland from 59 to 52 as part of a bigger exercise to reduce from 650 to 600 the number of MPs.
Boundary Commission has prepared these revised proposals after considering all of the responses to the Initial Proposals which were published in October 2012. Most of the suggestions presented by The Highland Council have been accepted by the Commission.
The main proposals include the creation of two constituencies in the Highland Council area, namely Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty Constituency and Inverness and Skye Constituency. The Council's proposals to move Strathconon; Applecross/Lochcarron; Beauly/Kiltarlity into Inverness and Skye Constituency were not accepted.
Highland Ward 22 (Fort William and Ardnamurchan) and Ward 12 (Caol and Mallaig) and all of Argyll and Bute Council area will make up the Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber Constituency. From the Initial proposals, the constituency name has been changed from Argyll, Bute and Lochaber.
Highland Ward 19 (Nairn) and all of the Moray Council area will comprise Moray and Nairn Constituency. From the initial proposals, the constituency name has been changed from Moray and Strathspey.
Copies of the proposals, including maps of the new constituencies are available at main Council offices and from the home page of the Council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk