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1716843

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
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: Registration
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if she will hold discussions with the Electoral Commission on the reasons for which it rejected the application from (a) Kingston Independent Residents Group and (b) Workers Party Britain on registering a description that included the leaders of those parties.
tabling member constituency	Rochdale
tabling member printed	George Galloway
uin	25444
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>Parties have the option to register descriptions which can appear on the ballot paper, instead of the party name. As the registrar for political parties, electoral law requires the Commission to assess whether a party’s description meets the requirements set out in law. If it does not, the description cannot be registered.</p><p>If a person, other than the candidate, is named in a description and thus appeared on the ballot paper, it is likely to mislead a voter about the candidate standing in their area. It would not therefore meet the legal requirements for a description, and the Commission would be required to refuse it.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 13/05/2024 09:41:23 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	609 label Biography information for George Galloway

1713682

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	General Elections: Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's guidance entitled Reporting candidate spending in the long campaign for a UK Parliamentary general election, published on 6 March 2024, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the changes from the guidance published ahead of the 2015 general election; and whether the Commission consulted political parties during the development of the revised guidance.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	23649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Commission sought external legal advice on the requirement for the reporting of spending during the long campaign, after receiving feedback from political parties. That advice differed from the position established by the Commission. The Commission is now in the process of reflecting that advice in its guidance.</p><p>The Commission has a responsibility to provide guidance for political parties and campaigners which helps them meet their legal obligations. It considers the impact that changes to its guidance have on its regulated community, but has a duty to accurately reflect the law.</p><p>The Commission has a constructive relationship with the party panels, and it regularly consults on key areas of its work, both formally and informally. The Commission always welcomes feedback from political parties on areas where it can better help them meet their legal obligations.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 26/04/2024 10:02:35 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1713683

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	General Elections: Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's guidance, Reporting candidate spending in the long campaign for a UK Parliamentary general election, what the evidential basis is for the assertion that an item of candidate spending provided by a party counts towards both (a) the long campaign spending limit for a candidate and (b) the party spending limit; how the treatment of notional expenditure and agent-authorised expenditure differs; and whether the Commission has made an assessment of the potential impact on party spending limits.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	23650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p><em></em>The Electoral Commission’s guidance aims to support campaigners to meet their obligations which are set by the UK’s complex political finance laws. It develops guidance based on legal advice and interpretation of these laws.</p><p>The Commission sought additional external legal advice on reporting of spending during the long campaign and is in the process of reflecting that legal advice in guidance.</p><p>The guidance will provide clarity on the parts of the candidate spending laws that impact how a candidate should report spending in the long campaign.</p><p>It will also clarify that there is a requirement for a candidate return for spending during the long campaign and therefore spending is not reportable in a party return.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 26/04/2024 10:04:32 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1713684

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	General Elections: Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's guidance, Reporting candidate spending in the long campaign for a UK Parliamentary general election, what assessment the Commission has made of the impact of General Data Protection Regulations on its (a) interpretations of and (b) guidance on long campaign returns and spending.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	23651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>Candidates have a legal requirement to submit a spending return for the long campaign to the Returning Officers who in turn must forward them to the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission and Returning Officers must process the data in the return according to their respective functions as set on in UK law. All data collected by the Commission is processed according to its obligations under data protection laws.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 26/04/2024 10:05:46 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1713685

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	General Elections: Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's guidance, Reporting candidate spending in the long campaign for a UK Parliamentary general election, whether it is a requirement for a candidate to publish a candidate spending return for the long campaign; and what guidance the Commission has provided to hon. Members on that issue.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	23652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>It is a requirement for candidates to provide any candidate spending during the long campaign in a return to their Returning Officer.</p><p>The Commission provides guidance for all candidates to help them meet their legal obligations, which is applicable to those Hon. Members seeking re-election at the next UK parliamentary general election.</p><p>It also provides additional bespoke advice and support to Hon. Members and their staff, as it does for all other political parties, campaigners and candidates.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 26/04/2024 10:06:39 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1689189

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept id	36
answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
hansard heading	Electoral Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Committee has had recent discussions with the Electoral Commission on the independence of the Commission.
tabling member constituency	North East Fife
tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
uin	14117
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2024 answer text <p>The Committee has had recent discussions with the Commission on this issue. The Commission regularly discusses its independence and accountability arrangements, which underpin public confidence in its work and decisions, during its regular meetings with the Committee.</p><p>The Commission and the Committee have both noted concerns about the introduction of a Strategy and Policy Statement, including its inconsistency with the role that an independent electoral commission plays in a democratic system.</p><p>However, now that a statement has been passed by the UK parliament, the Commission will meet its legal duty to have regard to it. It will continue to act independently and impartially to help maintain public confidence in elections and political finance regulation.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 21/02/2024 09:53:45 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1645361

registered interest
date	16/06/2023
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	Candidates: Vetting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what checks are undertaken to ascertain whether candidates for election to (a) the House of Commons and (b) local authorities are on the sex offenders register.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	190010
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2023 answer text <p>A person is disqualified from being elected to a local authority in England and Wales if they are on the sex offenders register at the time of their nomination and on polling day.</p><p>The Scottish Government is consulting on introducing a similar disqualification for Scottish local government elections. There is not currently a similar disqualification in place in Northern Ireland, or for UK parliamentary candidates.</p><p>It is the candidate's responsibility, not the Returning Officer's, to ensure that the information they submit on their nomination papers is correct. If a candidate decides to stand despite not meeting the eligibility criteria, this would be a matter for the police.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 20/06/2023 11:52:38 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1624090

registered interest
date	26/04/2023
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	Voter Authority Certificates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Committee has had recent discussions with the Electoral Commission on the level of sign up for the Voter Authority Certificate.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	182898
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>The Committee discussed access to and uptake of Voter Authority Certificates at its recent public evidence session in March. A transcript of the session is available on the Committee's website.</p><p>The Commission has said that while increases in awareness of voter ID requirement have been strong, Voter Authority Certificate applications were lower than might have been expected.</p><p>It has noted that this may reflect the number of people wanting to vote in these elections, take-up of postal and proxy voting, or that some voters have not applied in time for the deadline.</p><p>The Commission will consider the levels of take-up and the reasons for this as part of its evaluation of the implementation of voter ID. This will include detailed public survey work.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 02/05/2023 07:51:05 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1612488

registered interest
date	19/04/2023
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	Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Committee has had recent discussions with the Electoral Commission on when secondary legislation on overseas voting would need to be introduced to Parliament to ensure that all overseas voters can properly register and vote.
tabling member constituency	North East Fife
tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
uin	181778
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The Speaker's Committee has not had discussions with the Electoral Commission on the matter referred to.</p><p>The Commission has consistently highlighted to the UK Government that any changes to legislation should be in place six months before being implemented or complied with, so that Electoral Registration Officers, Returning Officers and voters have enough time to prepare.</p><p>The Commission is working to develop guidance for electoral administrators to help them understand and deliver the forthcoming changes to the overseas voter franchise. It will also expand its public awareness work targeting the overseas voter audience in the lead-up to UK parliamentary elections.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 24/04/2023 08:33:14 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1608795

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
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	Absent Voting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent discussions the Committee has had with the Electoral Commission on the security of postal votes.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	176574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>The Speaker’s Committee has not had discussions with the Electoral Commission on the matter referred to.</p><p>The Commission has highlighted that voting by post is a safe and popular method of voting, with safeguards in place to protect against from fraud. Postal voters are required to provide their signature and date of birth when applying for a postal vote, and again when casting their vote. Returning Officers are responsible for checking these match.</p><p>The Commission also encourages campaigners to follow the voluntary Code of Conduct, which makes clear that political parties and campaigners should not assist in completing a ballot paper, or handle completed ballot papers.</p><p>The Elections Act also included additional measures intended to further strengthen protections around postal voting at future elections.</p> answering member constituency Lancaster and Fleetwood answering member printed Cat Smith question first answered 17/04/2023 09:27:14 answering member 4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan