§ Lord RookerThe Government are today publishing a consultation paper on draft guidance to the Electoral Commission on drawing up the constituencies for a north-east regional assembly.
If, following a Yes vote in the referendum on the establishment of a regional assembly in the north-east, the Secretary of State proposes that a regional assembly should be established, the Government will direct the Electoral Commission to provide advice on the drawing up of the electoral areas for a north-east 116WS regional assembly. This direction will be accompanied by statutory guidance on what the Electoral Commission should take into account in preparing its advice. It is this guidance on which we are consulting.
The consultation paper includes a full draft of the guidance the Secretary of State proposes to issue. The Secretary of State proposes to direct the Electoral Commission to provide advice on:
- the number of electoral areas;
- the electoral areas into which the north-east is to be divided; and
- the name by which these electoral areas are to be known.
Therefore, the draft guidance sets out the matters the Government feel that the Electoral Commission should take into account when preparing its advice. The Secretary of State is not proposing to seek the commission's advice on the total number of members for a north-east assembly.
A copy of this consultation paper will be available in the House of Lords Library and in the "Regions" section of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website. The end date for the consultation is 22 October 2004.