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1132688

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	20/06/2019
	date	17/06/2019
	date tabled	17/06/2019
	ddp created	18/06/2019 09:54:08
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	question status	Tabled
	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
	ddp modified	18/06/2019 15:15:10 24/06/2019 10:30:02
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	911478
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	57
	question first answered	24/06/2019 09:58:46
	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.
	session	2017/19
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2017/19 911478
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	911478
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1133264

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/06/2019
	date	19/06/2019
	date tabled	19/06/2019
	ddp created	19/06/2019 18:00:30
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	ddp modified	19/06/2019 18:11:03 24/06/2019 16:57:03
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	266672
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	57
	question first answered	24/06/2019 16:25:16
	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.
	session	2017/19
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2017/19 266672
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	266672
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134466

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	01/07/2019
	date	25/06/2019
	date tabled	25/06/2019
	ddp created	25/06/2019 16:55:28
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	ddp modified	25/06/2019 17:05:23 01/07/2019 10:04:03
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	268969
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	57
	question first answered	01/07/2019 09:32:22
	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.
	session	2017/19
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2017/19 268969
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	268969
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1134468

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	01/07/2019
	date	25/06/2019
	date tabled	25/06/2019
	ddp created	25/06/2019 16:55:35
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	ddp modified	25/06/2019 17:05:28 01/07/2019 10:04:01
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	268970
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	57
	question first answered	01/07/2019 09:32:44
	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.
	session	2017/19
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2017/19 268970
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	268970
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1135945

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	04/07/2019
	date	01/07/2019
	date tabled	01/07/2019
	ddp created	01/07/2019 21:46:39
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	ddp modified	01/07/2019 22:01:52 04/07/2019 10:31:07
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	271380
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	57
	question first answered	04/07/2019 09:59:54
	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.
	session	2017/19
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2017/19 271380
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	271380
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1253386

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	23/11/2020
	date	18/11/2020
	date tabled	18/11/2020
	ddp created	18/11/2020 21:31:41
	answering body	Treasury
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	ddp modified	18/11/2020 21:42:46 23/11/2020 15:29:09
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	117395
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	23/11/2020 14:57:20
	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.
	session	2019/21
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Foyle
	tabling member printed	Colum Eastwood
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2019/21 117395
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	117395
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	4846 label Biography information for Colum Eastwood
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	4846 label Biography information for Colum Eastwood

1437752

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	09/03/2022
	date	03/03/2022
	date tabled	03/03/2022
	ddp created	03/03/2022 16:55:33
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	ddp modified	03/03/2022 17:06:51 09/03/2022 18:16:08
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	134084
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	09/03/2022 17:45:10
	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.
	session	2021/22
	session number	2
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2021/22 134084
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	134084
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1464114

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	23/05/2022
	date	18/05/2022
	date tabled	18/05/2022
	ddp created	18/05/2022 20:11:34
	answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	211
	answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	ddp modified	19/05/2022 11:15:30 25/05/2022 11:30:27
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	4513
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	25/05/2022 10:58:09
	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.
	session	2022/23
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Brent Central
	tabling member printed	Dawn Butler
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2022/23 4513
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	4513
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	1489 label Biography information for Dawn Butler
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	1489 label Biography information for Dawn Butler

1524049

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/10/2022
	date	19/10/2022
	date tabled	19/10/2022
	ddp created	19/10/2022 19:00:11
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	ddp modified	20/10/2022 13:07:38 25/10/2022 11:31:12
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	66926
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	25/10/2022 11:00:03
	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.
	session	2022/23
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
	tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2022/23 66926
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	66926
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

1652990

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	18/07/2023
	date	13/07/2023
	date tabled	13/07/2023
	ddp created	13/07/2023 17:13:38
	answering body	House of Commons Commission
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	18
	answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
	answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
	ddp modified	14/07/2023 10:15:28 18/07/2023 21:15:35
	hansard heading	Political Parties: Finance
	house id	1
	identifier	194115
	legislature	25259
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	18/07/2023 20:43:47
	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.
	session	2022/23
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	East Devon
	tabling member printed	Simon Jupp
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2022/23 194115
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194115
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	4862 label Biography information for Simon Jupp
	publisher	25259
	tabling member	4862 label Biography information for Simon Jupp