In the United Kingdom, the four Boundary Commissions are responsible for determining the boundaries of House of Commons constituencies. There is one Boundary Commission each for England, Scotland, Wales (Welsh: Comisiwn Ffiniau i Gymru), and Northern Ireland. The Commissions are currently established under Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended by the Boundary Commissions Act 1992), although they were first established under early legislation after the Second World War. The Boundary Commissions will cease to exist after they complete their present review. Their functions will be transferred to the United Kingdom Electoral Commission. The word Boundary has a variety of meanings. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Motto: , traditionally rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi me?[1] and in English as No one provokes me with impunity. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Motto: [citation needed] (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair... The Electoral Commission is a non-ministerial government department with powers in the United Kingdom, which was created by an Act of Parliament, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (2000 c. ...

The Commissions conduct a review once in eight to twelve years. There are four members of each Commission, of which three actually take part in meetings. The Speaker of the House of Commons is the ex officio Chairman of each Boundary Commission, though he takes no actual part in the proceedings. The Deputy Chairman of a Commission, who actually presides over Commission meetings, is always a Justice in a British court. In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ...

Once in 8-12 years, the Commission conducts a complete review of all constituencies. In between general reviews, the Commission conducts interim reviews, considering one geographic area at a time. The interim reviews usually do not yield drastic changes in boundaries, while the general reviews often do. The next review is due to be complete by April 12, 2007 with the new boundaries used for the next general election. April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June, 2010. ...

Under the rules established by Parliament, the number of constituencies in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) must not be "substantially greater or less" than 613, of which at least 35 must be in Wales. The City of London must not be partitioned and must be included in a seat that refers to it by name. The Orkney and Shetland islands may not be combined with any other areas. Northern Ireland may include 16-18 constituencies. Coat of arms The City of London is a small area in Greater London. ... The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ...

The Boundary Commissions are required by law to take local government boundaries into account when determining constituencies. The Commission, however, may choose to deviate from this requirement if failing to do so would cause some constituencies to be widely disparate in size. There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ...

Once the Commission makes a report, the recommendations must be submitted to Parliament. The Parliament may approve or reject these recommendations, but it may not amend them. If Parliament approves the recommendations, then the Sovereign may make an Order formalising the boundary changes. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Boundary Commission for England
• Boundary Commission for Scotland
• Boundary Commission for Wales
• Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
• Election maps of the UK
• June 2006: Boundary changes make it more difficult for Labour to win an overall majority