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Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Bill

To amend the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to make provision about the number and size of parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.

Originating House

House of Commons

Sponsor

Afzal KhanLabour (Co-op)

Last Updated

4 October 2019

In Plain English

AI-generated

This bill would change the rules for how many parliamentary constituencies there are in the UK and how large each one can be, updating the 1986 Act to provide a new framework for constituency numbers and sizes. It also covers related matters to support those changes. It is currently being examined in detail in the House of Commons (Committee stage).

Key Points

Amends the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to set new rules on the number and size of UK parliamentary constituencies.
Introduced in the Commons by Afzal Khan (Labour Co-op); current stage is Committee stage.
In 2016, the second-reading closure vote was 257 Aye to 35 No, with Labour and some others voting in favour and many Conservative MPs opposing.
There are extensive official papers accompanying the bill, including 34 Commons proceedings, 15 amendment papers, explanatory notes and briefing papers.
If enacted, the bill would influence how Boundary Commissions determine constituency boundaries and representation across the UK.

Progress

The bill is at the Committee stage in the Commons and would need to pass through further stages in both Houses and receive Royal Assent to become law.

Voting

In the 2016 second-reading closure vote, the bill secured 257 Aye to 35 No. Labour (Co-op) and other groups supported it; a significant portion of Conservative MPs opposed it.

Who is affected?

UK voters/constituentsMembers of Parliament and parliamentary candidatesBoundary Commissions (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)Local authoritiesPolitical parties and their members/public office holders

Generated 21 February 2026