Commentary on provisions of Act Section 8: Review of electoral boundaries by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland
This section transfers the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s functions in relation to Scottish Parliament boundaries to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. It also transfers powers in relation to Scottish Parliament boundaries to the Scottish Government and provides for the Local Government Boundary Commission to report to the Scottish Parliament in relation to boundary reviews for the Scottish Parliament.
	Subsection (2) replaces references to the Boundary Commission for Scotland within Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act with references to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. This means that the Boundary Commission for Scotland will no longer have functions in relation to Scottish Parliament boundaries and the functions will instead be carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.
	Subsections (3) to (5) amend Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act so that the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland will report to the Scottish Ministers on Scottish Parliamentary boundaries, rather than the Secretary of State for Scotland, and must submit its next report on Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries to the Scottish Ministers no earlier than 1 May 2018 and no later than 1 May 2022. This reflects that the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s previous report on Scottish Parliament boundaries was submitted on 1 May 2010, and recreates the window of 8 to 12 years for submission of future reports by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, as provided for by paragraph 3(5) of Schedule 1. The amendments to Schedule 1 also mean that the Scottish Parliament, rather than the UK Parliament, must approve by resolution a draft Order in Council implementing the recommendations made in the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland’s report, before the draft Order is submitted to Her Majesty in Council.
	Subsections (6) and (8) make minor consequential textual amendments to Schedule 1 which are required as a result of these changes.
	Subsection (7) omits paragraph 3(11) of Schedule 1. Paragraph 3(11) is no longer required as the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland will already lay its report before the Scottish Parliament under paragraph 3(9).