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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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