§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made since the announcement in March 1976 that the Boundary Commission for England and Northern Ireland had started their reviews.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Harris of Greenwich)My Lords, the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England have so far published provisional recommendations for constituencies in five counties. I understand that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland will not be publishing any provisional recommendations until Parliament decides on the level of Northern Ireland representation following the recommendations of the recent Speaker's Conference.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that at present there is considerable unfairness and that it is a fact that a vote in England is worth only four-fifths of a vote in Wales? In order to set these matters right, should we not speed on with the work of the Boundary Commission and the necessary action thereafter? At present there is gross over-representation in our city centres where sometimes 20,000 electors, and not more, elect a Member of Parliament.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, the Commission are statutorily required to submit their reports with final recommendations at some time between 1979 and 1984. They cannot do it statutorily before April 1979. Meanwhile, as a result of an action brought by the 1326 Enfield Borough Council, there is some delay in the work of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission and the situation will not be clarified until the hearing of that case in the Court of Appeal.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, could the noble Lord say whether the action in Enfield stops all other work in Scotland, Wales and the North of England? If not, it is to be hoped that they will press on with this work while this hearing is pending.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, the noble Lord's Question related entirely to the Boundary Commission for England and Northern Ireland. That is the Question which I answered. So far as the work of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission is concerned, there is some delay at the moment because of this particular case which has substantial implications.
§ Lord BOWDENMy Lords, can the Minister tell us what is happening about the Municipal Boundary Commission, or is this another Question? They are in great trouble because of the Enfield case.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, that is precisely the point. The Enfield case relates, of course, to the work of the Local Government Boundary Commission, but it has implications so far as the work of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission is concerned.
§ Lord BOWDENMy Lords, is it asking too much to ask the Minister whether the Government propose to appeal against the decision over Enfield? Or is this a matter that we should not refer to in this House?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, it is a matter entirely for the Boundary Commission who are appealing against a decision taken in the High Court.
§ Lord ELTONMy Lords, I may be mistaken, but I do not think that the noble Lord has answered my noble friend's Question. Does the situation in Enfield hold up proceedings in the rest of the country or does it not?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, it has significant implications. 1327 The case as reported in The Times indicates why this is so. The Question raised by the noble Lord related to the work of the Boundary Commission for England and Northern Ireland. I dealt particularly with the case of Northern Ireland referred to in a Statement yesterday by my noble friend the Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office. The Answer that I have given today relates particularly to the work in England.