Fourth periodic review of Westminster constituencies

Under the terms of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, as enacted, the boundary commissions were required to present their final recommendations between 10 and 15 years after the submission of their previous reports.{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as enacted) |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/56/section/3/enacted |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=Legislation.gov.uk}} As the final reports for the third periodic review had been submitted between October 1982 and February 1983, the final reports for the fourth review were due to be submitted no later than February 1998. Accordingly, the English Commission had commenced their review in February 1991 and the Scottish commission had commenced theirs in February 1992. In the meantime, reflecting concerns that the period between reviews was too long, the Government proposed that the gap between reviews should be reduced to between 8 and 12 years and that the deadline for the fourth review should be brought forward to 31 December 1994. This was legislated through the Boundary Commissions Act 1992.{{Cite web |title=Boundary Commissions Act 1992 (as enacted) |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/55/section/2/enacted |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=Legislation.gov.uk}}

The final reports were submitted as follows:

• Scotland - 15 December 1994{{Cite web |date=11 April 1995 |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1995 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1037/introduction/made |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=legislation.gov.uk}}

• Wales - 16 December 1994{{Cite web |date=11 April 1995 |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (Wales) Order 1995 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1036/introduction/made |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=legislation.gov.uk}}
• England - 12 April 1995{{Cite web |date=28 June 1995 |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1626/introduction/made |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=legislation.gov.uk}}
• Northern Ireland - 20 June 1995{{Cite web |date=23 November 1995 |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/2992/introduction/made |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=legislation.gov.uk}}

As a result of changes to the names of seats, it is not always easy to clearly identify newly created constituencies or those abolished during the review process. One way of considering this is to link each proposed seat with an existing seat which contributes the most voters to that new seat. Any proposed seat which cannot be linked to an existing seat is then considered to be a "new" constituency. Conversely, any existing seat which is not linked to a proposed seat is considered to have been abolished.

The tables below list the names of existing seats which were not replicated in the final proposals for the fourth review ("old seats"), and links them with proposed seats which did not exist prior to the review ("new seats"). Those seats which are not linked can be regarded as being genuinely abolished or newly created. There are a number of instances where existing seats are effectively abolished and re-created under the same name, as set out in the notes.

The number of seats in England increased by five. 19 non-metropolitan counties gained one seat each, with Hampshire gaining two. This was offset by a reduction of ten seats in Greater London, two each in Greater Manchester and West Midlands, and one each in Lancashire and Merseyside.

In Greater London, the Commission, for the first time, decided to pair some London Boroughs together to reduce the variation in the size of electorates. These are detailed in the table below.

class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" |County ! colspan="2" |No. of seats ! rowspan="2" |Old seat ! rowspan="2" |New seat ! rowspan="2" |Notes
Before !After
Avon |10 |10 ! ! |
rowspan="2" |Bedfordshire | rowspan="2" |5 | rowspan="2" |6 |Bedfordshire North |Bedford |
|Bedfordshire North East |Comprised the largest part of the existing Bedfordshire Mid seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
rowspan="3" |Berkshire | rowspan="3" |7 | rowspan="3" |8 |Berkshire East |Bracknell |
Windsor and Maidenhead |Maidenhead |
|Windsor |
Buckinghamshire |7 |7 ! ! |
rowspan="2" |Cambridgeshire | rowspan="2" |6 | rowspan="2" |7 ! |Cambridgeshire North West |
Cambridgeshire South West |Cambridgeshire South |
Cheshire |10 |11 ! |Weaver Vale |
Cleveland |6 |6 |Langbaurgh |Middlesbrough South and Cleveland East |
Cornwall |5 |5 |Truro |Truro and St Austell |Name change only.
Cumbria |6 |6 ! ! |
Derbyshire |10 |10 ! ! |
rowspan="5" |Devon | rowspan="5" |11 | rowspan="5" |11 |Honiton |Devon East |
Plymouth Drake ! | rowspan="2" |Plymouth, Drake was absorbed into Plymouth Sutton, with the bulk of that seat now forming the majority of the new seat of Devon South West.
|Devon South West
South Hams |Totnes |
Tiverton |Tiverton and Honiton |
Dorset |7 |8 ! |Dorset Mid and Poole North |
Durham |7 |7 ! ! |
East Sussex |8 |8 ! ! |
rowspan="6" |Essex | rowspan="6" |16 | rowspan="6" |17 ! |Essex North | rowspan="3" |Major reconfiguration.
Colchester North |Colchester
Colchester South and Maldon |Maldon and Chelmsford East
Chelmsford |Chelmsford West |
Rochford |Rayleigh |
Southend East |Rochford and Southend East |
rowspan="3" |Gloucestershire | rowspan="3" |5 | rowspan="3" |6 |Cirencester and Tewksbury |Cotswold |
|Tewkesbury |
Gloucestershire West |Forest of Dean |
rowspan="33" |Greater London | rowspan="33" |84 | rowspan="33" |74 |Hendon North |Hendon | rowspan="3" |London borough of Barnet
Hendon South !
Finchley |Finchley and Golders Green
Greenwich |Greenwich and Woolwich | rowspan="4" |London boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich
Woolwich !
Erith and Crayford |Erith and Thamesmead
Bexleyheath |Bexleyheath and Crayford
Chislehurst |Bromley and Chislehurst | rowspan="2" |London borough of Bromley
Ravensbourne !
Croydon North East ! | rowspan="2" |London borough of Croydon
Croydon North West |Croydon North
Ealing Acton |Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush | rowspan="3" |London boroughs of Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham
Hammersmith !
Fulham |Hammersmith and Fulham
City of London and Westminster South |Cities of London and Westminster | rowspan="4" |Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Cities of London and Westminster
Westminster North |Regent's Park and Kensington North
Kensington !
Chelsea |Kensington and Chelsea
Richmond and Barnes |Richmond Park | rowspan="3" |Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and borough of Richmond upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames !
Surbiton |Kingston and Surbiton
Southwark and Bermondsey |North Southwark and Bermondsey | rowspan="4" |London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark
Peckham |Camberwell and Peckham
Dulwich |Dulwich and West Norwood
Norwood !
Bethnal Green and Stepney |Bethnal Green and Bow | rowspan="5" |London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets
Bow and Poplar |Poplar and Canning Town
Newham South !
Newham North East |East Ham
Newham North West |West Ham
Chingford |Chingford and Woodford Green | rowspan="3" |London boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest
Wanstead and Woodford !
Leyton |Leyton and Wanstead
rowspan="8" |Greater Manchester | rowspan="8" |30 | rowspan="8" |28 |Stretford ! |
Davyhulme |Stretford and Urmston |
Altrincham and Sale |Altrincham and Sale West |
Manchester, Wythenshawe |Wythenshawe and Sale East |
Littleborough and Saddleworth |Oldham East and Saddleworth |
Oldham Central and Royton |Oldham West and Royton |
Oldham West ! |
Salford East |Salford |
rowspan="4" |Hampshire | rowspan="4" |15 | rowspan="4" |17 ! |Hampshire North East |Comprised the majority of the existing Hampshire East seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
New Forest |New Forest West |
|New Forest East |
Romsey and Waterside |Romsey |
rowspan="2" |Hereford and Worcester | rowspan="2" |7 | rowspan="2" |8 ! |Redditch |Comprised the majority of the existing Worcestershire Mid seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Worcestershire South |Worcestershire West |
rowspan="3" |Hertfordshire | rowspan="3" |10 | rowspan="3" |11 |Hertfordshire North |Hertfordshire North East |
|Hitchin and Harpenden |
Hertfordshire West |Hemel Hempstead |
rowspan="7" |Humberside | rowspan="7" |9 | rowspan="7" |10 |Kingston upon Hull West |Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle |
Bridlington |Yorkshire East | rowspan="4" |Major reconfiguration
|Beverley and Holderness
Beverley |Haltemprice and Howdon
Boothferry |Brigg and Goole
Glanford and Scunthorpe |Scunthorpe |
Brigg and Cleethorpes |Cleethorpes |
Isle of Wight |1 |1 ! ! |
rowspan="4" |Kent | rowspan="4" |16 | rowspan="4" |17 |Faversham |Sittingbourne and Sheppey |
|Faversham and Kent Mid |
Kent Mid |Chatham and Aylesford |
Maidstone |Maidstone and The Weald |
rowspan="3" |Lancashire | rowspan="3" |16 | rowspan="3" |15 |Lancaster |Lancaster and Wyre |
Wyre ! |
Blackpool North |Blackpool North and Fleetwood |
Leicestershire |9 |10 ! |Charnwood |
rowspan="6" |Lincolnshire | rowspan="6" |6 | rowspan="6" |7 |Gainsborough and Horncastle |Gainsborough |
Lindsey East |Louth and Horncastle |
Holland with Boston |Boston and Skegness |
Stamford and Spalding |South Holland and The Deepings |
|Grantham and Stamford |
Grantham |Sleaford and North Hykeham |
rowspan="3" |Merseyside | rowspan="3" |17 | rowspan="3" |16 |Knowsley North |Knowsley North and Sefton East |
Liverpool Broadgreen |Liverpool Wavertree |
Liverpool Mossley Hill ! |
Norfolk |8 |8 ! ! |
rowspan="4" |North Yorkshire | rowspan="4" |6 | rowspan="4" |7 |Harrogate |Harrogate and Knaresborough |
|Vale of York |
York |City of York |Name change only
Scarborough |Scarborough and Whitby |Name change only
Northamptonshire |6 |6 ! ! |
Northumberland |4 |4 ! ! |
Nottinghamshire |11 |11 ! ! |
Oxfordshire |6 |6 ! ! |
Shropshire |4 |5 ! |Telford |Comprised the majority of the existing The Wrekin seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Somerset |5 |5 ! ! |
South Yorkshire |15 |15 |Barnsley East |Barnsley East and Mexborough |
rowspan="4" |Staffordshire | rowspan="4" |11 | rowspan="4" |12 ! |Stone | rowspan="2" |Major reconfiguration
Staffordshire Mid |Lichfield
Cannock and Burntwood |Cannock Chase |
Staffordshire South East |Tamworth |
rowspan="2" |Suffolk | rowspan="2" |6 | rowspan="2" |7 |Suffolk Central |Suffolk Central and Ipswich North |
|Suffolk West |Comprised the majority of the existing Bury St Edmunds seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
rowspan="3" |Surrey | rowspan="3" |11 | rowspan="3" |11 |Surrey North West |Surrey Heath |
Chertsey and Walton |Runnymede and Weybridge |
Esher |Esher and Walton |
rowspan="4" |Tyne and Wear | rowspan="4" |13 | rowspan="4" |13 |Wallsend |Tyneside North |
Newcastle upon Tyne East |Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend |
Gateshead East |Gateshead East and Washington West |
Houghton and Washington |Houghton and Washington East |
Warwickshire |5 |5 ! ! |
rowspan="10" |West Midlands | rowspan="10" |31 | rowspan="10" |29 |Dudley East |Dudley North |
Dudley West |Dudley South |
rowspan="2" |Halesowen and Stourbridge |Stourbridge | rowspan="2" |Electorate of Halesowen and Stourbridge distributed more-or-less equally between two new constituencies.
Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Warley West ! |
Warley East |Warley |
Birmingham, Small Heath ! |
Birmingham, Sparkbrook |Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath |
Coventry South East |Coventry South |
Coventry South West ! |
rowspan="4" |West Sussex | rowspan="4" |7 | rowspan="4" |8 |Arundel |Bognor Regis and Littlehampton |
|Arundel and South Downs |
Shoreham |Worthing East and Shoreham |
Worthing |Worthing West |
West Yorkshire |23 |23 |Morley and Leeds South |Morley and Rothwell |
rowspan="2" |Wiltshire | rowspan="2" |5 | rowspan="2" |6 ! |Swindon North |
Swindon |Swindon South |

The number of seats in Wales was increased from 38 to 40 through the creation of an additional seat in the counties of Clwyd and Dyfed.

class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" |County ! colspan="2" |No of seats ! rowspan="2" |Old seat ! rowspan="2" |New seat
Before !After
rowspan="3" |Clwyd | rowspan="3" |5 | rowspan="3" |6 |Clwyd North West |Clwyd West
|Vale of Clwyd
Clwyd South West |Clwyd South
rowspan="4" |Dyfed | rowspan="4" |4 | rowspan="4" |5 |Ceredigion and Pembroke North |Ceredigion
Pembroke |Preseli Pembrokeshire
|Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
Carmarthen |Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Gwent |6 |6 ! !
Gwynedd |4 |4 ! !
Mid Glamorgan |7 |7 ! !
Powys |2 |2 ! !
South Glamorgan |5 |5 ! !
West Glamorgan |5 |5 ! !

The number of seats in Scotland remained at 72, with an additional seat in Grampian region being offset by the loss of a seat in the City of Glasgow in Strathclyde region.

class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" |Region ! colspan="2" |No of seats ! rowspan="2" |Old seat ! rowspan="2" |New seat
Before !After
Borders |2 |2 ! !
Central |4 |4 |Clackmannan |Ochil
Dumfries and Galloway |2 |2 ! !
Fife |5 |5 ! !
rowspan="2" |Grampian | rowspan="2" |6 | rowspan="2" |7 ! |Aberdeen Central
Kincardine and Deeside |Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine
rowspan="3" |Highland | rowspan="3" |3 | rowspan="3" |3 |Caithness and Sutherland |Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Ross, Cromarty and Skye |Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber |Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
rowspan="2" |Lothian | rowspan="2" |10 | rowspan="2" |10 |Edinburgh East |Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh, Leith |Edinburgh North and Leith
rowspan="11" |Strathclyde | rowspan="11" |33 | rowspan="11" |32 |Monklands East |Airdrie and Shotts
Monklands West |Coatbridge and Chryston
Motherwell North |Hamilton North and Bellshill
Motherwell South |Motherwell and Wishaw
Hamilton |Hamilton South
Greenock and Port Glasgow |Greenock and Inverclyde
Renfrew West and Inverclyde |Renfrewshire West
Glasgow Garscadden |Glasgow Anniesland
Glasgow Hillhead |Glasgow Kelvin
Glasgow Central !
Glasgow Provan |Glasgow Baillieston
rowspan="2" |Tayside | rowspan="2" |5 | rowspan="2" |5 |Angus East |Angus
Perth and Kinross |Perth
Islands Areas |2 |2 ! !

The number of seats in Northern Ireland was increased from 17 to 18 through the creation of West Tyrone. This comprised the majority of the existing Mid Ulster seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.

{{reflist}}

{{Periodic Reviews of Westminster constituencies}}

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Category:1990s in the United Kingdom