The Electoral Commission has no open consultations with the Parliamentary Parties Panel, and no consultations that are closed but have not yet been concluded.<\/p>
The Commission hold regular discussions with the Westminster Parliamentary Parties Panel, and each of the devolved panels, on its work and guidance. It is an important forum to gather feedback and views from political parties who provide expert insight on how the law is applied in practise and their experiences at elections.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Jeremy Wright"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T15:01:22.863Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Parliamentary Parties Panel"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, on what topics the Commission has (a) open consultations (i) through the Parliamentary Parties Panel and (ii) generally and (b) consultations that are closed but not yet had a response.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25266"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757218", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757218/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Electoral Commission develops guidance in consultation with electoral administrators and parties and campaigners, to ensure it is clear and meets their needs. The Commission has upcoming statutory consultations on the new digital imprint guidance in Scotland, non-party campaigner Code of Practise in Scotland, and candidate, party, and non-party campaigner Codes in Wales. It is also planning to run a consultation on guidance around accessibility measures in elections.<\/p>
Consultations on legislative changes, such as electoral law, are a matter for the Government. It is important that relevent stakeholders are properly consulted to ensure any changes are workable. The Commission is currently engaging with the UK Government on its manifesto commitments around electoral policy, and will consult on any necessary changes to its guidance arising from those legislative changes.<\/p>
The Commission also develops its own policy proposals based on it experience of overseeing and regulating elections. It gathers data on experiences of voters, electoral administrators and campaigners at each election, and has regular discussions with the electoral community, governments, and other regulators on how the law could be updated or practice improved.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Jeremy Wright"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T15:04:17.947Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Elections"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what plans the Commission has to consult on changes to electoral (a) law, (b) practice, (c) guidance and (d) policy in 2025.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25267"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757219", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757219/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Qualifying foreign citizens residing in Scotland and Wales are eligible to register to vote in local government and devolved elections, and are therefore permissible donors for those elections. The Commission provides guidance to Electoral Registration Officers on the eligibility criteria. Political parties, campaigners and regulated donees are responsible to carry out checks on donations they receive to ensure they are from permissible sources, and for properly and accurately reporting them. The Commission has published guidance about who is and is not a permissable donor.<\/p>
If the Commission is made aware of evidence that donations may have been misreported or have come from an impermissable source, it will consider it in line with its Enforcement Policy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Jeremy Wright"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T15:06:13.903Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Political Parties: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the oral answer of 15 January 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Columns 1123-1124, on Political Parties: Funding, what guidance the Commission has issued on whether (a) Russian, (b) Iranian and (c) Chinese citizens can donate to UK (i) political parties, (ii) registered third parties and (iii) regulated donees if they reside in (A) Wales and (B) Scotland.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25268"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757220", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757220/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Electoral Commission offers advice to all candidates and parties in reponse to their queries and in line with its published guidance. For notional spending, the law states that no invoice is required in a candidate return. The Commission advises that additional information about the nature of the spending could be included to show that the value declared is accurate.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Jeremy Wright"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T15:08:06.657Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Candidates: Expenditure"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 22034 on Candidates: Expenditure, whether the Commission has given unpublished advice on the use of notional invoices for paid-for campaigning in election expense returns in cases where multiple elections are held concurrently in the last three years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25269"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757221", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757221/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There is no leal requirement for an invoice for notional spending where it is reported in a candidate return. The requirement is for agents to make a declaration of the value of the notional spending. However, additional information about the nature of the spending could be included to show that the value declared accurately represents the services received and used by the campaign. This could include how the items have been split between different candidates and the costs of individual suppliers.<\/p>
This information may be included with the return in a notional invoice from the party or any other organisation providing the items. If a return does not include evidence for the value of notional spending, and there is a question about its accuracy, the police, may need to seek this information through an investigation, to ensure that the amount decared is accurate.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1560", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kenilworth and Southam"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Jeremy Wright"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T15:10:03.037Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Candidates: Expenditure"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 22034 on Candidates: Expenditure, whether such notional invoices need to provide detail on (a) how items have been split between different candidates and (b) which individual suppliers were used and at what cost.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thirsk and Malton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Hollinrake"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25270"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757348", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757348/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As with the previous administration, this Government does not publish Freedom of Information round robin lists.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> Freedom of Information round robin lists contain a reference number, the text of the request, and any advice or guidance on the approach to be taken. The lists do not include the names of the requestor.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> Further information on round robin lists can be found on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4820", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Erith and Thamesmead"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Abena Oppong-Asare"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2025-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2025-01-23T14:17:30.14Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2025-01-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Freedom of Information"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 18402 on Freedom of Information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent FOI Round Robin list, redacting the personal names of any requester.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5169", "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bridlington and The Wolds"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Charlie Dewhirst"}
], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "25451"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757457", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1757457/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "