HC Deb 05 February 1953 vol 510 cc2164-6

Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire and Stirling and Falkirk Burghs) Order, 1952 [copy laid 3rd December] approved.— [Mr. Henderson Stewart.]

Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (Bothwell, North Lanarkshire and Coatbridge and Airdrie) Order, 1952 [copy laid 3rd December] approved.—[Mr. Henderson Stewart.]

Motion made, and Question proposed. That the Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (Bothwell, North Lanarkshire and Motherwell) Order, 1952, a copy of which was laid before this House on 3rd December, be approved."—[Mr. Henderson Stewart.]

Miss Margaret Herbison (Lanarkshire, North)

As the Joint Under-Secretary of State knows, two of these draft Orders refer in part to my constituency. On this Order, I have done my best to see whether there will be any great transfer of voters from North Lanarkshire to Motherwell or Bothwell. Could the Joint Under-Secretary of State tell me or, if not, perhaps he could let me know.

The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Henderson Stewart)

I can give the hon. Lady the numbers for both constituencies to which she refers. In the case of the Airdrie extension, 232 people only are involved; in the case of Motherwell and Wishaw, 72.

Mr. A. Woodburn (Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire)

Would it not be for the convenience of the House—because a great many people are wondering what these Orders do—if the Joint Under-Secretary of State made a statement explaining what they do, clearing it all off in one speech?

Mr. Henderson Stewart

I should have done so at the beginning but that I did not think that the House would want any time spent on this. By leave of the House, I will explain that what is happening is something like this. The towns involved in these Orders have in recent months had their boundaries extended, and in the course of that extension have taken in parts of neighbouring counties, which parts, of course, form parts of other constituencies. It is an essential part of the law of the land now in Scotland that a burgh should be a complete burgh so far as a constituency is concerned, and in order to make that possible these Orders are recommended to the House in a Report from the Boundary Commission.

The Boundary Commission has various duties, but one of those duties is from time to time to recommend to the Secretary of State such changes as are made necessary by boundary changes in burghs. These are cases in point, and the simple purpose of these Orders is to make formal, from a Parliamentary constituency point of view, the fact that the towns have enlarged their boundaries.

The right hon. Gentleman asked me about the changes in each case. I gave the hon. Lady the Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) the figures for her part of the world. I gladly give the others. In the case of Falkirk and Stirling there is no change at all, because the piece of ground taken in had nobody living on it. In the case of Buckhaven and Methil 131 people are involved. In the case of Greenock and West Renfrew, there is to be a change of 607 persons.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, That the Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (Bothwell, North Lanarkshire and Motherwell) Order, 1952, a copy of which was laid before this House on 3rd December, he approved. Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (West Fife and Kirkcaldy Burghs) Order, 1952 [copy laid 3rd December], approved.—[Mr. Henderson Stewart.]

Draft House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) (Scotland) (West Renfrew-shire and Greenock) Order, 1952 [copy laid 3rd December], approved.—[Mr. Henderson Stewart.]