Press Release: European Parliament (Representation) Act

The European Parliament (Representation) Bill was granted Royal Assent on 8 May 2003. The new Act has two key purposes: to provide a mechanism by which the numbers of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) representing the UK can be reduced to help make room for representatives of the new member states which will accede to the European Union, as agreed by the Treaty of Nice; and to enable the people of Gibraltar to vote in European Parliamentary elections. Please note that the Lord Chancellor's Department was abolished in 2003 and replaced by a new Department for Constitutional Affairs.

• Primary Source