Question

To ask the hon. Member for City of Chester, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of asking the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to consider delaying the periodic Ward Boundary Reviews in (i) Tameside and (ii) Stockport for 12 months to allow those councils to focus on covid-19 prevention and community support activity.

Since the imposition of lockdown restrictions the Local Government Boundary Commission for England has had extensive dialogue with those councils included in its electoral review programme. This includes Tameside and Stockport.

The Commission initially paused input from councils for three months where councils felt it would help them deal with their response to COVID-19. It is in continuing dialogue with councils to reach mutually acceptable timetables for carrying out electoral reviews. Those timetables are tailored to the individual council. A number have already been agreed. Some are proceeding broadly according to their original timetable, others have more significant extensions. Once agreed those timetables are subject to ongoing review to take account of future changes in circumstances faced by individual councils.