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1726824

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment with the Electoral Commission of the adequacy of regulations on the funding of political parties.
	tabling member constituency	South Dorset
	tabling member printed	Lloyd Hatton
	uin	3903
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2024 answer text <p>Effective regulation and enforcement of political finance are crucial for maintaining public trust in our electoral systems. The Government has frequent discussions with the Electoral Commission on this. As set out in our manifesto, we are committed to strengthening our democracy and upholding the integrity of elections. As part of this, the Government intends to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties. My department will work closely with the Electoral Commission on developing proposals to give effect to this commitment.</p> answering member constituency Nottingham North and Kimberley answering member printed Alex Norris question first answered 10/09/2024 14:26:37 answering member 4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris
	tabling member	5217

1679237

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2023
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 4 July 2023 (HL Deb col 1125), what progress they have made on the consultation on enhancing information sharing.
	tabling member printed	Lord Evans of Weardale
	uin	HL1334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2024 answer text <p>The Government will consult the relevant authorities with the aim of finding ways to improve information sharing to facilitate enforcement of existing electoral law and report its conclusions to Parliament by the end of 2024.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 05/01/2024 12:34:35 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
	tabling member	4348 label Biography information for Lord Evans of Weardale

1652990

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2023
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the documents on Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties on the Parliamentary website, when the Commission plans to publish breakdown information on financial assistance given in 2022-23; and if the Commission will place a copy of that information in the Library of the House.
	tabling member constituency	East Devon
	tabling member printed	Simon Jupp
	uin	194115
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2023 answer text <p>Details of expenditure relating to Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties received for financial year 2022–2023 is published in the House of Commons Members 2022–2023 Annual Report and Accounts (HC1685) which will be available on the Parliamentary website before the House rises for the summer recess.</p><p>The National Audit office (NAO) complete an audit of the House of Commons; Members, this includes a breakdown of Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties.</p><p>Once certified and agreed by the NAO the House of Commons Members Annual Report and Accounts can be laid, and then made available on the Parliamentary website.</p><p>The budgeted allocations and breakdown for 2022–23 is available on the Parliamentary site:<br><a href="https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/freedom-of-information/information-we-already-publish/house-of-commons-publication-scheme/members-and-members-staff/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/freedom-of-information/information-we-already-publish/house-of-commons-publication-scheme/members-and-members-staff/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/</a></p><p>House of Commons Members Accounts, Parliamentary site: <br><a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/commons/resource-accounts/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/commons/resource-accounts/</a></p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 18/07/2023 20:43:47 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4862 label Biography information for Simon Jupp

1524049

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2022
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the steps being taken to help ensure political parties do not exchange financial contributions for honours.
	tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
	tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
	uin	66926
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>It is against the law to 'sell' honours or peerages - offering cash for awards - under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Honours are earned, not bought, and there are clear procedures in place to protect the honours system and to ensure the integrity of the selection process.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Donations to any political party should not be regarded as a reason for disqualification from receiving an honour.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>More broadly, fundraising by political parties is a legitimate part of the democratic process. The alternative is taxpayer-funding of political campaigning, which would mean less money for frontline services like schools, police and hospitals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/10/2022 11:00:03 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

1470685

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2022
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the Members Estimate Committee, if he will publish the amount of (a) short money and (b) other additional parliamentary support funding provided to each political party on an annual basis since 2015.
	tabling member constituency	East Lothian
	tabling member printed	Kenny MacAskill
	uin	19001
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Since 2016–17 it has been a requirement to publish the amounts paid for each financial year and these can be found on the <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/financial-information/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/" target="_blank">Parliament website</a>. The short money and Representative Money provided to each political party on an annual basis since 2015 can be found in the pdf attachment.</p><p>The Short Money and Representative Money allocations scheduled to be paid for the current financial year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Short/Representative Money Allocations 2022/2023</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Party</strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong>1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Main Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Travel Budget</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)</p></td><td><p>£202,484.60</p></td><td><p>£5,018.85</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Green Party</p></td><td><p>£187,111.20</p></td><td><p>£4,637.76</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Labour Party</p></td><td><p>£6,812,568.25</p></td><td><p>£146,451.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Liberal Democrats</p></td><td><p>£929,590.70</p></td><td><p>£23,040.69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Plaid Cymru</p></td><td><p>£110,875.00</p></td><td><p>£2,748.13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scottish National Party (SNP)</p></td><td><p>£1,149,355.15</p></td><td><p>£28,487.72</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)</p></td><td><p>£110,875.00</p></td><td><p>£2,748.13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sinn Fein *</p></td><td><p>£171,032.15</p></td><td><p>£4,239.21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>* Representative Money</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Information on previous budget allocations for Short Money and Representative Money can also be found on the App3 tab here:</p><p><a href="https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01663/CBP01663-2021.xlsx" target="_blank">Data sheets for Library briefing on Short Money </a>(44 KB, Excel Spreadsheet)</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 27/06/2022 18:02:52 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker attachment 1 file name Short Money allocations.pdf title Short Money allocations
	tabling member	4772 label Biography information for Kenny MacAskill

1464114

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that funding of UK political parties does not come from foreign citizens.
	tabling member constituency	Brent Central
	tabling member printed	Dawn Butler
	uin	4513
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2022 answer text <p>UK electoral law sets out a stringent regime of donations controls that bans foreign donations. Individuals must be on the UK electoral roll to make political donations; in the case of companies, they must be UK-registered and properly carrying on business in the UK. There is only a very limited exception to this, whereby for political parties registered in Northern Ireland, permissible donors also include Irish sources provided they meet prescribed conditions. The Government is strengthening the corporate transparency regime, which will support the donations regime. The Elections Act 2022 further closes potential loopholes on foreign spending.</p><p>By contrast, the (Labour-led) Welsh Government and (SNP-led) Scottish Government have facilitated donations by foreign citizens in British politics, by extending the devolved franchise to all foreign nationals living in Wales and Scotland respectively.</p> answering member constituency Harborough answering member printed Neil O'Brien question first answered 25/05/2022 10:58:09 answering member 4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien previous answer version 2269 answering member constituency Harborough answering member printed Neil O'Brien answering member 4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien
	tabling member	1489 label Biography information for Dawn Butler

1456665

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to make it illegal for non-UK citizens who were granted Tier 1 (Investor) visas to donate to political parties in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL7555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2022 answer text <p>UK electoral law sets out a stringent regime of donations controls to ensure that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can make political donations and that political donations are transparent.</p><p>Donations from individuals not on the electoral register are not permitted. There is only a very limited exception to this, whereby for political parties registered in Northern Ireland, permissible donors also include Irish citizens and organisations provided they meet prescribed conditions.</p><p>UK visas, whatever the tier, do not give someone the right to vote in the UK. Eligibility requirements at UK elections will vary across the UK depending on the election, and anyone holding a UK visa will be subject to usual tests around nationality and residency to determine whether they are eligible to register as an elector.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 14/04/2022 15:22:10 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

1437752

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to figures from the Electoral Commission released on 2 March 2022 recording the Conservative Party received £80,000 from Lubov Chernukhin in the last quarter, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of donations to political parties.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	134084
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2022 answer text <p>UK electoral law already sets out a stringent regime of donations controls that bans foreign donations. Individuals must be on the UK electoral roll to make political donations; in the case of companies, they must be properly carrying on business in the UK. The Government is strengthening the corporate transparency regime to ensure this is the case.</p><p>Reportable donations are overseen by the Electoral Commission. If the Hon. Member has a query relating to its operational policy and guidance on permissible donations, she may wish to ask a question via the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission.</p><p>More broadly, I would make the following observation: there are people in this country of Russian origin who are British citizens. Many are critics of Putin and have condemned his invasion of Ukraine. It is completely wrong and discriminatory to tar them all with the same brush because of their family background or past nationality.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 09/03/2022 17:45:10 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1436081

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring into force the un-commenced provisions of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, regarding donations from non-resident donors.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
	uin	HL6457
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2022 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to bring into force the uncommenced provisions of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 regarding donations from non-resident donors.</p><p>As set out in a related answer to a question from <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquestions-statements.parliament.uk%2Fwritten-questions%2Fdetail%2F2019-06-25%2F268970&amp;data=04%7C01%7CParliamentary%40levellingup.gov.uk%7C3163853efe774557d84d08d9fdd4200a%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637819909769752213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=sXuNbZH3by8Oou0%2BO%2BEkT36i7qCPVFy3HmE4pd6ypPI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Jon Trickett MP (268970</a>) (attached), it is the view of the Government that this provision is not workable given that an individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC.</p><p>Further, taxation is not connected to enfranchisement in the UK and if a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations.</p><p>Registered overseas electors are eligible to make political donations and it is only right that they should be able to donate in the same way as other UK citizens registered on the electoral roll.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 14/03/2022 11:59:02 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh attachment 1 file name 220310 Written questions and answers - HL6457.pdf title Question from Jon Trickett MP
	tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1416136

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make it a criminal offence for foreign governments to channel funds in excess of a limit of £5,000 into the (1) personal, or (2) business, accounts of individual parliamentarians.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>There are rules in place to ensure that only those with a legitimate interest can make political donations. All MPs and members of political parties are regulated donees and can only accept donations of more than £500 made to them in connection with their political activities if it is from a permissible donor. Donations from individuals not on the UK electoral register, such as foreign donors, are not allowed.</p><p>In addition, Members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords must provide information on any financial or non-financial benefit which might reasonably be thought by others to influence their actions or words as Members of Parliament.</p><p>However, we know that in very rare instances, malign actors disguise their links to foreign Governments. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. The Government has structures in place to identify foreign interference or any potential threats to democracy and, where necessary, take proportionate action to mitigate them.</p><p>As set out in the Queen’s Speech, the Government is bringing forward new Counter State Threats legislation to give the intelligence agencies and law enforcement the tools they need to tackle the diversifying and evolving threats we face.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 07/02/2022 17:32:37 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1378863

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing measures to require unincorporated associations that make political contributions in a year totalling above £7,500 or above to report gifts received above £7,500.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	75811
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2021 answer text <p>Unincorporated associations making political contributions of more than £25,000 in a calendar year must notify the Electoral Commission and are then subsequently subject to various reporting requirements relating to their own funding. Members’ associations (many of which are unincorporated associations) are separately regulated as regulated donees and must report on donations and loans they receive. The rules are outlined at: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.electoralcommission.org.uk%2Funincorporated-associations&amp;data=04%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cd4aad1c86d2d4c80aa6208d9af6c4753%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637733701843693710%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=SNoE3JDXq93YtU8Y047%2BHzfc0TQJKWsZadKfGvo1MK0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/unincorporated-associations</a>.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 24/11/2021 17:34:25 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1378864

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will consult on the maximum fine the Electoral Commission can impose on individuals and organisations for breaking political finance rules.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	75812
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2021 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission may impose monetary penalties of up to £20,000 per offence. Criminal matters can be referred to the police. The courts may levy unlimited fines and custodial sentences for some offences, as laid out in the Political Parties Elections and Referendum Act 2000 (as amended).</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 24/11/2021 17:33:49 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1378675

	registered interest
	date	15/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing measures to prevent (a) regulated donees from accepting donations or loans from people who are (i) not domiciled in the UK and (ii) non-resident for tax purposes and (b) regulated donees and non-party campaigners from accepting donations or loans from people who are not tax compliant.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	75177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2021 answer text <p>There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register. If one can vote for a party, then one should be able to donate to it. Foreign donations are banned.</p><p>Election law already allows for registered British expatriates to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, and also to make donations (up to 15 years from leaving the UK). The Election Bill makes no change to that principle, merely it removes the arbitrary 15 year period.</p><p>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis for enfranchisement in our democracy. Some British citizens who work abroad, and who can already vote under the current ‘15 year rule’, only pay tax in the overseas country in which they work. Equally, other British expatriates will currently pay tax on their pensions, property and investments in the UK, but still not have a right to vote.</p><p>Within the UK, those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but rightly still have the right to vote in local elections for the local authority which sets that council tax.</p><p>I also refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 1 July 2019, Official Report, UIN 268969, on the flaws with provisions in the last Labour Government's Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Elections Bill does provide for separate measures to prevent backdoor foreign spending.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 24/11/2021 18:26:37 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1253386

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) financial support to furlough staff employed by and (b) other financial support for political parties has been allocated (i) intentionally and (ii) in error during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Foyle
	tabling member printed	Colum Eastwood
	uin	117395
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>HMRC are not able to provide information on political parties or any other specific organisations that may have received financial support from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).</p><p> </p><p>This is because of HMRC’s duty of confidentiality. HMRC cannot publish identifying information that relates to their functions, which includes the CJRS, unless there is an appropriate legal basis for publication. No such legal basis was in place for the CJRS prior to 12 November 2020 when the latest CJRS Direction was signed.</p><p> </p><p>In line with the published direction, as part of HMRC’s commitment to transparency and to deter fraudulent claims, HMRC will publish information about employers who claim for periods starting on or after 1 December 2020.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 23/11/2020 14:57:20 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4846 label Biography information for Colum Eastwood

1244737

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2020
	answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
	answering dept id	92
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House how much Cranborne money has been budgeted to (1) the Labour party, (2) the Liberal Democrat party, (3) the office of the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers, and (4) any other groups or parties in the House of Lords, in the current financial year.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mann
	uin	HL9304
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>For the 2020-21 financial year, the maximum amount available for financial assistance to opposition parties and the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers (“Cranborne money”) is as follows:</p><p> </p><ul><li><p>Labour - £656,948</p></li><li><p>Liberal Democrats - £328,008</p></li><li><p>Office of the Convenor of the Crossbench peers - £ 99,770</p></li></ul><p> </p><p>No other groups or parties are able to claim it.</p> answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 22/10/2020 10:56:00 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

1243613

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of raising the recordable and reportable donation thresholds for registered political parties in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL9192
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2020 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-12/hl9043" target="_blank">HL9043</a> on 26 October 2020.</p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 28/10/2020 17:59:52 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1242235

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the levels at which donations to political parties are recordable and reportable.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL9043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2020 answer text <p>UK electoral law sets out a stringent regime of donations controls to ensure that only those with a genuine interest in UK electoral events can donate to political parties and to ensure transparency of those donations.</p><p>All donations over £500 need to be recorded by political parties and checked for permissibility. Certain donations need to be reported to the Electoral Commission, including all donations from impermissible donors, all donations over £7,500 and donations that are over £1,500 and come from a source that parties have already reported in the same calendar year. To ensure transparency about party funding, donation reports are published by the Electoral Commission on its website.</p><p>The Government is committed to upholding the integrity of our electoral system. As part of that, we are taking forward a programme of work that will strengthen and update the UK’s electoral regulation to ensure it is fit for the modern age; provides a robust framework for campaign finance; and supports public confidence in our processes.</p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 26/10/2020 17:06:57 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1239478

	registered interest
	date	30/09/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to monitor (1) the level of political funding from companies and individuals associated with (a) the arms trade, (b) tobacco companies (c) private medical companies, (d) pharmaceutical companies, and (e) the financial sector, and (2) the percentage, individually and collectively, that funding by companies and individuals constitutes of the total amount of political spending.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL8620
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>Lawfully constituted UK companies may make permissible political donations. The Electoral Commission is responsible for regulating party financing. The Commission publishes information relating to donations and loans over £7,500, including the name of the donor and other appropriate such as their address and company registration number. Details are available online.</p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 14/10/2020 15:31:46 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1135945

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2017 to Question 268970, whether his Department received proposals from the Electoral Commission on the implementation of section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	271380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission set out their concerns and recommendations for implementation in their 2013 report ‘<em>A regulatory review of the UK’s party and election finance laws: Recommendations for change</em>’.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 04/07/2019 09:59:54 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134466

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 266672 on Political Parties: Finance, for what reason the Government considers Section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 to be unworkable.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	268969
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:22 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134468

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has received representations from the Electoral Commission on the workability of section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	268970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable, and the Conservative Government continues to hold this view.</p><p>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC).</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the political party and the Electoral Commission to accurately determine whether a donor meets the permissibility test set out section 10 in the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.</p><p>The Government also has a principled objection to the measures:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations. There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Notwithstanding, as I stated in my previous answer, the Government has announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider recommendations on tackling loopholes in relation to foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies which are not properly operating in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2019 09:32:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1133264

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Government has not issued a commencement order for Section 10 of the Political Parties Act 2009, in relation to non-resident donors.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	266672
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Successive Governments have considered section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 to be unworkable</p><p>There is already a robust legal framework in place to ensure only individuals that are registered on the electoral register and organisations that carry out business in the UK can<br>make donations to political organisations in the UK</p><p>In May this year, the Government announced it will consult on strengthening the current provisions which protect UK politics from foreign influence. The consultation may consider<br>recommendations on foreign spending in elections and donations from shell companies.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 24/06/2019 16:25:16 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1132688

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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: Finance
	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, whether the Electoral Commission plans to review the ability of UK political parties and campaigns to receive micro-funding from overseas donors.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	uin	911478
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Electoral law allows parties to adopt a fundraising strategy that focusses on raising funds in small amounts. A positive aspect of this is broad engagement of people in politics.</p><p>Parliament set a threshold of £500, above which donations must be from permissible sources. This is to limit influence from outside the UK on our elections and democracy. Below the threshold, sums given to parties and campaigners are not considered to be donations under law, but recipients still need to satisfy themselves who is giving these sums. Multiple sums from a single source could aggregate to above £500 triggering the permissibility rules. This would exclude overseas donors not on the UK electoral register.</p><p>Parties must have systems in place to comply with the rules, and the Commission provides advice to parties and campaigners about how to ensure that they do. If the current law is complied with, there is no reason why micro funding would result in impermissible donations from overseas donors. However, if it is considered that confidence in this needs to be improved by more transparency, the level of the £500 threshold could be lowered by Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 24/06/2019 09:58:46 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1126732

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Electoral Commission about putting in place safeguards to ensure that political parties do not receive donations from people promoting the interests of other countries during and between election campaigns.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL15749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2019 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission in its 2018 report ‘Digital campaigning - Increasing transparency for voters’, included recommendations relating to foreign donations and campaigning. The Government has discussed these with the Electoral Commission.</p><p>On 5th May 2019, the Government announced it will consult on safeguarding UK elections. The consultation may consider recommendations for increasing transparency on digital political advertising, including by third parties; closing loopholes on foreign spending in elections; preventing shell companies from sidestepping the current rules on political finance and on action to tackle foreign lobbying.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 16/05/2019 16:09:24 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

1086391

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the Electoral Commission concerning the implementation of section 10 the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009; and what was their response.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
	uin	HL14419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable</p><p><br>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, House of Commons, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, House of Commons, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC)</p><p><br>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations.</p><p><br>There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK</p><p><br>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association</p><p><br>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections</p><p><br>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham grouped question UIN HL14422 HL14423 question first answered 18/03/2019 12:45:10 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1086395

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) implementing section 10 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, and (2) extending permanently the capacity of UK citizens living abroad to make large donations to the parties, on the financing of political parties.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
	uin	HL14422
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable</p><p><br>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, House of Commons, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, House of Commons, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC)</p><p><br>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations.</p><p><br>There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK</p><p><br>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association</p><p><br>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections</p><p><br>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham grouped question UIN HL14419 HL14423 question first answered 18/03/2019 12:45:10 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

1086396

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restrict donations to political parties from people living in tax havens and paying lower rates of tax than donors to political parties who pay full rates of tax.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
	uin	HL14423
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>The Coalition Government took the decision not to implement the 2009 legislation, as it was not deemed to be workable</p><p><br>During the passage of the 2009 Act, the Electoral Commission raised concerns about the legislation (further to Official Report, House of Commons, 15 October 2009, Col. 998W), and in 2013, the Electoral Commission also flagged issues about the tax status declaration requirements. The Labour Government conceded that the provisions could not be commenced at that time “due to their complex nature” (as outlined in the answer of Official Report, House of Commons, 10 March 2010, Col. 5MC)</p><p><br>The UK has a robust legal framework in place that bans foreign donations.</p><p><br>There is a long-standing principle – as originally recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998 – that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register, and this includes UK citizens who are registered overseas electors. Companies wishing to make donations must be UK-registered and carrying on business in the UK</p><p><br>If a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations. Supporting a political party is part of the democratic process, and is an expression of freedom of association</p><p><br>Since the adoption of universal suffrage, taxation has never been the basis of enfranchisement in the UK. Those who do not pay income tax, such as those earning less than the tax-free personal allowance, rightly remain entitled to vote. Similarly, full-time students are legally exempt from paying council tax, but still have the right to vote in local elections</p><p><br>More broadly, since 2010, the Government has taken action to sanction and deter those involved in offshore evasion, including creating a new criminal offence for serious offshore evasion, and introducing penalties for those who deliberately help others to evade tax offshore. The Government has introduced over 100 new measures to tackle tax avoidance, evasion and non-compliance.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham grouped question UIN HL14419 HL14422 question first answered 18/03/2019 12:45:10 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

750007

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2017
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2017 to Question 2270, on political parties: finance, for what reasons the Government chose 1 July 2017 as the start date.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	3768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2017 answer text <p>I first announced my intention to bring forward secondary legislation to implement full transparency from 1 July 2017 during my statement to Parliament on 3 July 2017. This is consistent with the commitment set out in the Government's Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election. I had previously written to the Northern Ireland political parties in January seeking their views on this issue. The parties were also asked about the date from which transparency should take effect. While all parties that responded expressed broad support for the future publication of donations and loans, only one party expressed support for backdating publication.</p><p>All responses are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brokenshire-provides-further-details-of-political-donations-policy-to-mps" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brokenshire-provides-further-details-of-political-donations-policy-to-mps</a>.</p><p>Having considered the representations of the parties, I did not believe it right to impose retrospective regulations on those who donated in accordance with the rules set out in law at the time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire grouped question UIN 3769 question first answered 17/07/2017 12:20:22 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

750008

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2017
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2017 to Question 2270, on political parties: finance, when the Government announced the 1 July 2017 start date.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	3769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2017 answer text <p>I first announced my intention to bring forward secondary legislation to implement full transparency from 1 July 2017 during my statement to Parliament on 3 July 2017. This is consistent with the commitment set out in the Government's Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election. I had previously written to the Northern Ireland political parties in January seeking their views on this issue. The parties were also asked about the date from which transparency should take effect. While all parties that responded expressed broad support for the future publication of donations and loans, only one party expressed support for backdating publication.</p><p>All responses are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brokenshire-provides-further-details-of-political-donations-policy-to-mps" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brokenshire-provides-further-details-of-political-donations-policy-to-mps</a>.</p><p>Having considered the representations of the parties, I did not believe it right to impose retrospective regulations on those who donated in accordance with the rules set out in law at the time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire grouped question UIN 3768 question first answered 17/07/2017 12:20:23 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

747148

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2017
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government remains committed to ensuring consistent levels of transparency on political donations made to political parties.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	2270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2017 answer text <p>The rules about transparency of political donations are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government intends to bring forward legislation to extend transparency that already exists for political parties in Great Britain to also cover donations and loans received by Northern Ireland parties on or after 1 July 2017.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 05/07/2017 10:29:53 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

628273

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2016
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to change the law relating to political donations.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3008
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2016 answer text <p>Despite a decade of talks, there is still no cross-party consensus on the broad issues of party funding at this time. It is ultimately a matter for the political parties - the Government cannot impose consensus from Whitehall.</p> answering member printed Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen question first answered 15/11/2016 14:08:45 answering member 4330 label Biography information for Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

523857

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2016
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current borrowing limits imposed on (1) the Scottish Parliament, (2) the National Assembly for Wales, and (3) the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	tabling member printed	Lord Empey
	uin	HL545
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2016 answer text <p>The Scotland Act 2014 permits the Scottish Government to borrow up to £2.2 billion for capital purposes and £0.5 billion to cover shortfalls in cash receipts. The Scotland Act 2016 provides for these to be revised in due course to £3bn and £1.75bn respectively.</p><p> </p><p>The Welsh Government may borrow up to £500 million to cover shortfalls in the Welsh Consolidated Fund as set out in the Government of Wales Act 2006. The Wales Act 2014 confers aggregate capital borrowing powers of up to £500 million on the Welsh Government. In response to a specific request from the Welsh Government, the Government has also provided early access to these capital borrowing powers in order to support the delivery of the M4 relief road.</p><p> </p><p>The Northern Ireland Executive has a statutory borrowing limit of £3 billion for capital purposes as set out in the Northern Ireland (Loans) Act 1975 as amended by the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006. The Northern Ireland Executive may borrow up to £250 million to cover shortfalls in the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund as set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley grouped question UIN HL547 question first answered 22/06/2016 11:13:23 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
	tabling member	4216 label Biography information for Lord Empey

517818

	registered interest
	date	05/05/2016
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Electoral Commission's 2013 recommendation that political parties that receive and spend less than £500 annually should be exempt from submitting a full statement of accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Banbury
	tabling member printed	Victoria Prentis
	uin	36690
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2016 answer text <p>The Electoral Commission published a report “a regulatory review of the UK’s party and electoral finance laws” in June 2013 that made 50 recommendations. The report’s first recommendation proposed changes to the reporting requirements for parties that receive and spend less than £500 annually. Such a change would require primary legislation. The Government recognises that there is a balance to be struck between reducing the burden on smaller parties and maintaining transparency of the funding of all parties which contest elections in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Weston-super-Mare answering member printed John Penrose question first answered 10/05/2016 12:52:33 answering member 1584 label Biography information for John Penrose
	tabling member	4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis

454644

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2016
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform, as outlined in the <i>Cabinet Office single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020</i>, and what cross-party discussions they are holding to that end.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL6394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2016 answer text <p>We remain committed to seeking a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement. No cross-party discussions are currently taking place.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley grouped question UIN HL6290 question first answered 07/03/2016 17:36:22 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

454645

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2016
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their planned introduction of votes for life would also mean that British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years could fund UK political parties.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL6395
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2016 answer text <p>We will introduce a Bill in due course that will make these matters clear.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley question first answered 09/03/2016 16:53:27 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

453588

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2016
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform, as set out in the <i>Cabinet Office Departmental Plan 2015–20</i> published on 19 February.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL6290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2016 answer text <p>We remain committed to seeking a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement. No cross-party discussions are currently taking place.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley grouped question UIN HL6394 question first answered 07/03/2016 17:36:22 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

436665

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2015
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015, paragraph 1.309, whether any reduction is planned in (a) Cranborne money and (b) Representative money.
	tabling member constituency	Salford and Eccles
	tabling member printed	Rebecca Long Bailey
	uin	19449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>Government proposals regarding reducing the cost of politics were published in the Spending Review 2015.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 14/12/2015 17:36:36 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	4396 label Biography information for Rebecca Long Bailey

434114

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2015
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce a limit on the size of personal, or company, donations to political parties.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rennard
	uin	HL4233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2015 answer text <p>We remain committed to negotiating a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement, including donations from all funding sources including trade unions.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley question first answered 21/12/2015 12:46:51 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	2484 label Biography information for Lord Rennard

389190

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2015
	answering body	The Lord Chairman of Committees
	answering dept id	200
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Chairman of Committees (HoL)
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Chairman of Committees how much Cranborne money will be given to (1) the Liberal Democrat Party, and (2) the Labour Party; and over what period of time.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL1376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2015 answer text <p>The maximum amount of financial assistance available to opposition parties will be: £259,357 to the Liberal Democrat party in the period 8 May 2015 to 31 March 2016; and £577,871 to the Labour Party in the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016. The amount given may be less, depending on claims.</p><p>For each subsequent year, the maximum amount for the previous year is increased by the percentage (if any) by which the retail prices index for the previous March has increased compared with the index for the March before that, and (if the resulting amount is not a whole number of pounds) rounded to the nearest pound. The full-year equivalents on which the calculation will be based are £288,525 for the Liberal Democrat party and the amount set out above for the Labour party.</p><p>Financial assistance is available to assist the Opposition, the second largest opposition party and the Convenor of the Cross-Bench Peers in carrying out their Parliamentary business.</p> answering member printed Lord Sewel question first answered 20/07/2015 12:17:38 answering member 2124 label Biography information for Lord Sewel
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

388487

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2015
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to allow British citizens living abroad to make donations for life to political parties in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL1262
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2015 answer text <p>We will publish a Bill in due course that will make these matters clear.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley question first answered 22/07/2015 15:12:23 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

388488

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2015
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the limits in force for donations to political parties.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL1263
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to continue to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley question first answered 21/07/2015 14:08:33 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

101200

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on her Department's review of the exemption to the publication of party political donations in Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast East
	tabling member printed	Naomi Long
	uin	211922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Following public consultation earlier this year, we have been working closely with the Electoral Commission to finalise secondary legislation that will allow for greater transparency for donations and loans to political parties in Northern Ireland. This legislation will be brought before the House when consultation with the Electoral Commission has concluded.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/11/2014 15:15:42 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	3920 label Biography information for Naomi Long