MINOR changes proposed for parliamentary constituency boundaries of Darlington and County Durham will be scrutinised at County Hall next week.

The Boundary Commission for England published provisional recommendations for changes to the Darlington seat and the six parliamentary constituencies of neighbouring County Durham last week.

Members of the public and any affected bodies are invited to submit responses to the proposals to the Boundary Commission by June 30.

The proposed changes are intended to take account of new ward boundaries and the fact that Darlington now has its own unitary authority, no longer served by the county council.

The commission decided to treat both council areas under the same review, and proposed not to make a single Darlington seat out of the whole borough as this would create an imbalance in numbers.

It means Heighington, Coniscliffe, Hurworth, Middleton St George, Sadberge and Whessoe in Darlington borough would remain in Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency.

Under the proposals 295 electors would transfer from Sedgefield seat to the Faverdale ward of health secretary Alan Milburn's Darlington constituency.

A further 375 would transfer from Sedgefield to the Harrowgate Hill ward in Darlington.

Gerry Steinberg's Durham City constituency would remain the largest, with an electorate of 69,926, with 65,872 in Darlington, 63,917 in Sedgefield and 62,562 in Easington, the smallest of the seven areas under review.

Members of Durham County Council are invited to comment on the proposals on June 6.

The proposals are on show at Darlington Town Hall and civic centres across the county. Responses should be made to the Boundary Commission for England, PO Box 31060, London SW1V 2FF.