Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill - Clause 19 - Advice of the Electoral Commission
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I am concerned that the chief executive of his council should have said that my letter was incorrect. I shall bear that in mind when I next pay a visit to his area and see the chief executive.
The hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge asked about the number of electors in relation to members of assemblies, and how that compared with numbers of Members of Parliament or councillors. I apologise if I did not make the matter absolutely clear in my earlier remarks. The constituencies of elected assembly members, whether directly elected or list, will be much larger than parliamentary constituencies or local authority wards. Our objective is for members of assemblies to concentrate on strategic, not just local, issues. That is why we are choosing much wider constituencies.