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1028628

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2018
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000: Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance that the Electoral Commission uses when determining the proportionality of setting the level of a variable monetary penalty.
	tabling member constituency	Thornbury and Yate
	tabling member printed	Luke Hall
	uin	203928
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2019 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission has powers to impose a variable monetary penalty where it is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has committed a prescribed offence or contravention under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Commission takes decisions on sanctions in line with its Enforcement Policy. This document was the result of a public consultation and is available on its website; I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.</p><p>The Commission has called for an increase to the maximum penalty it can impose on political parties and others for offences or contraventions under the political finance rules. The Commission’s view is that the current maximum fine of £20,000 per offence could be seen as a cost of doing business, and that monetary penalties should be more proportionate to the income and expenditure of larger and well-funded parties and campaigners.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 07/01/2019 09:25:21 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall

1035122

	registered interest
	date	04/01/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Disclosure of Information
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the appropriateness of the Commission's use of civil sanctions for the late submission of political parties' quarterly reports.
	tabling member constituency	Thornbury and Yate
	tabling member printed	Luke Hall
	uin	205307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2019 answer text <p>The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 requires registered political parties to report cash and non-cash donations and borrowing to the Electoral Commission on a quarterly basis. Parliament made it an offence to deliver, without reasonable excuse, donation reports that are inaccurate or miss the statutory deadline. Parliament also gave the Commission investigation and sanction powers for these, and other, offences. The Commission investigates and where appropriate sanctions inaccurate or late donation reports in line with its Enforcement Policy.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 08/01/2019 09:52:54 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall

1039568

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203928 and the Answer of 8 January 2019 to Question 205307, on Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000: Fines, if the Speaker's Committee will undertake a review of whether it is an appropriate and proportionate enforcement policy practice by the Electoral Commission for a political party to be fined £6,000 for submitting a quarterly reporting one day after the deadline.
	tabling member constituency	Thornbury and Yate
	tabling member printed	Luke Hall
	uin	207584
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>It is not the remit of the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, as set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, to scrutinise the Electoral Commission’s enforcement policies.</p><p>Parliament made it an offence to deliver, without reasonable excuse, donation reports that are inaccurate or miss the statutory deadline. Parliament gave the Commission investigation and sanction powers for these, and other, offences. Parliament also set out a legal right of appeal for those sanctioned by the Commission, including on the grounds that the amount of the penalty is unreasonable.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 20/05/2019 12:48:14 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall

1041376

	registered interest
	date	14/01/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Electoral Commission: Powers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the investigatory powers of the Electoral Commission.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Neil Gray
	uin	208265
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>The Commission has on-going dialogue with the Minister for the Constitution and has raised the need for a significant increase to its current maximum fine of only £20,000 per offence. This would ensure that sanctions are proportionate and provide a genuine deterrent to campaigners who may be tempted to break the UK’s political finance laws.</p><p>It continues to recommend that its investigative and sanctioning powers should be extended to include offences relating to candidate spending and donations at major elections. This would help to ensure compliance with the rules at UK-wide and other national elections, and to strengthen voters’ trust in the regulatory system.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 17/01/2019 13:29:08 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1063755

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Local Government: Constituencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the timetable is for the full Boundary Review of local councils.
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	222690
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has no current plans to carry out a single programme of electoral reviews for all local authorities in England.</p><p>The Commission administers a rolling programme of electoral reviews and can include local authorities if they meet one or more of the following criteria:</p><ul><li>If a council has high levels of electoral inequality, where some councillors represent many more, or many fewer, voters than the average for the local authority area. The Commission targets authorities where the number of electors in 30% or more wards or divisions varies from the average of the council by 10% or more. Where one ward or division varies by 30% or more, the Commission will also consider carrying out a review. In both cases, the Commission will carry out a review if it believes the variances will not be corrected, without a review, within a reasonable period of time.</li><li>If a council has not undergone an electoral review in more than 12 years.</li><li>Where the Commission has been asked to carry out an electoral review.</li></ul><p>In the financial year 2019/20, the Commission plans to initiate electoral reviews in 25 English local authorities selected through the criteria set out above.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 20/02/2019 14:02:00 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1063763

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	County Councils: Elections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what estimate he has made of the (a) average number of electors in a county council division and (b) percentage variance from that average in each such division.
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	222698
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>The Local Government Boundary Commission for England collects and publishes data annually on every local authority in England. Data derived from electoral registers in December 2017 show that:</p><p>(a) Given that electoral divisions in England can be represented by one or two councillors, the Commission does not collect data on the average number of voters living in them. The average number of electors per county councillor in England is 9,327.</p><p>(b) The Commission strongly believes that every English local authority is different, faces diverse challenges and represents people and communities in a variety of ways. The Commission therefore does not examine electoral division or ward data against a national average. When drawing up electoral arrangements or deciding whether to include a council in its work programme, the Commission compares the number of electors in each division with the average for the council within which it is located. The spreadsheet, which can be accessed through the following link, sets out the electoral variance of every electoral division and ward in England against the average for that local authority alongside other electorate data <a href="http://www.lgbce.org.uk/resources/electoral-data" target="_blank">http://www.lgbce.org.uk/resources/electoral-data</a>.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 20/02/2019 14:03:11 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1123386

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, for what reasons the deadline for EU citizens to change their status to vote in European elections in the UK was set to 12 working days before polling day rather than six in guidance issued by the Commission.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	248046
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>The deadline for EU citizens returning a declaration indicating that they wish to vote in a European Parliamentary election in the UK is 12 working days before polling day, not 6 working days. This is set out in: the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended); the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (as amended); and the European Parliamentary Elections (Franchise of Relevant Citizens of the Union) Regulations 2001.</p><p>As was the case in 2014, the Commission has issued guidance to Electoral Registration Officers reflecting this legislation.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 02/05/2019 14:41:28 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1123388

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what changes to the process by which EU citizens become eligible to vote in European elections in the UK were recommended by the Commission.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	248047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>Following the 2014 European Parliamentary election, the Electoral Commission identified, in its statutory election report, that the system for citizens of other EU member states to register to vote in future European elections in the UK could be simplified. It specifically highlighted that legislation could be changed so that EU citizens would not need to complete more than one electoral registration form. Commission staff subsequently met Cabinet Office officials, together with representatives from EU citizens’ organisations, to consider the practical implications of this and other options for amending the law.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 01/05/2019 15:23:31 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1123390

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Commission has issued on making changes to the process for inviting EU citizens resident in the UK to participate in European elections in the UK in view of the short timescale.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	248048
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>Electoral legislation sets out the process that EU citizens must follow if they wish to vote in a European Parliamentary election in the UK. As was the case in 2014, the Commission has issued guidance reflecting this legislation, recommending that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) should write to EU citizens to inform them of what they need to do to be able to vote at the European Parliamentary elections in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 01/05/2019 15:26:44 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1123391

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	European Parliament: Elections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Commission has provided to the Cabinet Office on making additional central funding available to electoral registration officers to ensure that EU citizens are aware of the steps they need to take in order to participate in the European elections in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	248049
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>While Returning Officers at a European Parliamentary election are funded directly by the UK Government for the costs involved in administering the election, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are funded entirely by the local authority which has appointed them. This means that EROs across the UK are required to draw on their local annual budgets to deal with the impact of national electoral events.</p><p>In its report on registration at the 2017 UK Parliamentary General Election, the Commission highlighted the need for the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments to work with the Commission and EROs across the UK to review the balance of funding and resources for EROs. This is to ensure that election-specific activity can be appropriately resourced, as well as ongoing activities such as the annual canvass of properties.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 01/05/2019 15:28:12 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith