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{{Short description|Welsh local government boundary body}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
The '''Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru''' ({{langx|cy|Comisiwn Democratiaeth a Ffiniau Cymru}}) is a [[Welsh Government sponsored bodies|Welsh Government sponsored body]], responsible for defining local government boundaries and [[Senedd constituencies|Senedd constituency]] boundaries in Wales, also known as {{lang|cy|[[Cymru]]}}.

The Commission was established originally as the '''Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales''' ({{langx|cy|Comisiwn Ffiniau Llywodraeth Leol i Gymru}}) in 1972 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]].<ref>{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1972|chapter=70|act=Local Government Act 1972}}</ref> Its purpose is to: keep under review all local government areas in Wales, and the electoral arrangements for the [[Local government in Wales|principal areas]], and to make such proposals to the [[Welsh Government]] as seem desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government. The work of the Commission was modified by the [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]].<ref>{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1994|chapter=19|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994}}</ref>

Electoral arrangements in six authorities were reviewed after the penultimate round of Welsh local elections in 1999, and the changes were implemented at the elections on 10 June 2004. In 2002, the commission also reviewed and amended some of the boundaries of the [[preserved counties of Wales]].

In February 2009 the Minister for Local government and Social Justice issued Directions to the commission to begin an Electoral Review across all the 22 local authorities in Wales.  His stated aim was to rationalise representation at "... no lower than a ratio of 1 councillor to 1,750 electors ".

The name and functioning of the commission was changed in 2013 to the '''Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales''' ({{langx|cy|Comisiwn Ffiniau a Democratiaeth Leol Cymru}}), as a result of the [[Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2013/4/enacted |accessdate=27 November 2013 |publisher=The National Archives (UK)}}</ref> It was renamed again by the [[Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024]] to its current name and given responsibility over reviewing the borders of Senedd constituencies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-18 |title=Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: integrated impact assessment [HTML] {{!}} GOV.WALES |url=https://www.gov.wales/senedd-cymru-members-and-elections-bill-integrated-impact-assessment-html |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=www.gov.wales |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-07 |title=About the commission {{!}} DBCC |url=https://www.ldbc.gov.wales/about-commission |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.ldbc.gov.wales |language=en-GB}}</ref>

As part of electoral reform in the [[Senedd]] it has proposed [[2026 review of Senedd constituencies#Final proposals (March 2025)|16 new constituencies]] by pairing the 32 [[List of UK Parliament constituencies in Wales|Westminster constituencies]], these are to be used in the [[next Senedd election]] in 2026. Following that election the Commission will conduct a full review of Senedd boundaries and do so every 8 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-18 |title=Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill |url=https://business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=41915 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=business.senedd.wales |language=en-gb}}</ref>

From 31 March 2025, the commission would be responsible for setting the [[remuneration]] for members of [[Principal council|principal councils]] (councillors of the 22 [[Principal areas of Wales|principal areas]]), town and [[Community council|community councils]], [[Corporate Joint Committee|Corporate Joint Committees]], [[Fire and rescue authority|fire and rescue authorities]] and [[National park authority|national park authorities]] in Wales, replacing the [[Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales]] which will be abolished from that date.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-04 |title=Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales: draft annual report 2025 to 2026 [HTML] {{!}} GOV.WALES |url=https://www.gov.wales/independent-remuneration-panel-wales-draft-annual-report-2025-2026-html#:~:text=The%20Panel%20will%20be%20abolished%20via%20the%20Elections,of%20the%20Panel%E2%80%99s%20functions%20on%201%20April%202025. |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.gov.wales |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Boundaries Scotland]]
*[[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]]
*[[Local Government Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland]]
==External links==
*[http://ldbc.gov.wales/?lang=en Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru]

==References==

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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Welsh Government sponsored bodies]]
[[Category:Elections in Wales]]
[[Category:Local government in Wales]]
[[Category:Boundary commissions in the United Kingdom]]


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