Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 126 · Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance and advice the Electoral Commission has given on whether regulated donees who are political party members but do not h
Donations to party members are regulated when made in connection with their political activities within the party. For example, these include campaigning in party leadership elections or candidate selection contests or developing or promoting policies wit...
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 118900 on Polling Stations: Religious Buildings, what advice the Electoral Commission has issued on whether (a) synagogues and (b) mosques are deemed accessible.
The Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers on identifying suitable polling station venues. This includes evaluating the suitability of the polling stations that are available for use in the appropriate electoral areas.The Commission has recently drawn Returning Officers’ attention to existing security guidance. It also provides accessibility guidance, which outlines the actions Returning Officers should take when assessing the accessibility of venues, including ensuring venues have sufficient space for voting to take place, and considering which equipment may be necessary to support voters, such as ramps or temporary floor coverings.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 118899 on Elections: Campaigns, whether the Electoral Commission has made an assessment whether an imprint in a foreign language is accessible and legible to electors who only speak and read English.
The Electoral Commission has not made such an assessment.There are no requirements in law on the language of imprints. Campaigners may wish to produce campaign material in other languages to reach voters whose first language is not English. The purpose of an imprint is to ensure that voters seeing the material, know who is responsible for it. Providing an imprint in the same language as the campaign material would be one way to ensure transparency for those voters that the material is targeting.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 118900 on Polling Stations: Religious Buildings, whether the Electoral Commission holds any data on the number of polling stations located in (a) synagogues and (b) mosques.
Individual local authorities are responsible for designating polling places. The Electoral Commission does not hold a central list of polling stations.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether there is a memorandum of understanding between the Electoral Commission and the House of Commons on the reporting and enforcement regime for political donations for hon. Members.
The Electoral Commission has a memorandum of understanding with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which outlines how the two reporting regimes operate in a way which reduces the administrative burden on MPs. The Commission regularly reviews how the regimes operate and makes recommendations to Parliament to ensure the systems work effectively together and minimise the administrative burden on parliamentarians.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether there is a memorandum of understanding between the Electoral Commission and the Metropolitan Police on electoral law enforcement.
The Electoral Commission does not have a memorandum of understanding with the Metropolitan Police. It works closely with police forces to support them in their understanding of electoral law.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 118895 on Political Parties: Finance, what guidance the Electoral Commission has provided to Members’ Associations on how sponsorship revenue deemed to be as a commercial transaction should be treated under donation reporting requirements.
Commercial transactions may be sponsorship, if the purpose of the payment can reasonably be seen to be to help the members association meet the costs of an event, publication, or research study. For example, a payment for advertising at an event run by a members association would be sponsorship and the full amount must be treated as a donation.The Commission will publish updated guidance on sponsorship shortly.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if it will itemise each individual breach relating to the Labour Together fine from September 2021.
Labour Together failed to deliver 27 donation reports within 30 days of accepting the donations. The donations amounted to £739,492. Labour Together was late in reporting all of these donations, ranging from 39 days late to 1,292 days late.The organisation also inaccurately reported the value of a cash donation from an individual donor. The donation was initially reported as being £18,000 when it should have been reported as £20,000, so it was under-reported by £2,000. The non-compliance existed for three years and three months.Labour Together also failed to appoint a responsible person within 30 days of each donation being accepted. No sanction was imposed for these offences due to mitigating factors.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission, Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, HC 1086, page 107, why the Electoral Commission has an independent adviser for equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Electoral Commission does not currently have an independent Equality, Diversity and Inclusion adviser. The Commission appointed an independent adviser on EDI between September 2022 - September 2023.The Commission's EDI Strategy is on the Commission's website. It outlines the equalities legislation that applies to the Commission, how it meets its duties, and how it strives to ensure electoral processes are open and accessible to all voters and campaigners.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the urgent question of 23 February 2026, on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, if the Electoral Commission will publish their internal report on Labour Together.
The Commission does not publish internal documents relating to its regulatory work. It publishes information about recently closed investigations every month, including the possible offences it investigated, the outcome and any further action. An overview of the Commission’s investigation into Labour Together is listed under April 2021 – March 2022.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 89567, on Political Parties: Finance, what (a) advice and (b) guidance the Electoral Commission has issued on donations received through a personal services company.
Donations received through personal services companies owned by a regulated donee are likely to be considered as being made to the regulated donee on behalf of the original donor. This is because donations to regulated donees includes anything given directly or indirectly to them through a third person under electoral law.In these instances, the personal services company would be acting as an agent for the donation.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2026, to Question 116489, on By-elections: Gorton and Denton, if the Electoral Commission will make it their policy to issue a press release on the conclusion of any assessment it has made in relation to this by-election.
Greater Manchester Police are currently reviewing allegations of electoral fraud at the Gorton and Denton by-election. The Commission is in close contact with the police and with the Returning Officer.Once the review is concluded, the Commission will consider the outcome and any additional action needed.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2025, to Question 97793, on Reform UK: Cryptocurrencies, from what date have political parties been required to declare to the Electoral Commission donations that have been made via a crypto-currency or as a crypto-asset.
The Commission has published guidance for political parties that are considering accepting cryptocurrency assets. It sets out that cryptoassets are considered property, which is in line with HMRC and Financial Conduct Authority guidance, and should be treated as a non-monetary donation.It has always been a requirement for political parties to report the nature and value of non-monetary donations if they are greater than the reporting threshold (£11,800). The Commission’s updated guidance clarified that this applies to cryptoasset donations.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Parliamentary Parties Panel was consulted by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government prior to the publication of its policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025.
Questions about consultation on a UK Government document, as in this case, are a matter for the relevant Department.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has produced guidance on how donations made in foreign currencies should be treated for the purposes of donation reporting rules.
The Electoral Commission hasn't produced specific guidance on donations that are in foreign currencies.Political parties must report the value of the donations in Pounds Sterling at the time of receipt if they are above the reporting threshold and check it for permissibility if it is above £500.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 112203 on Electoral Commission: Companies House, whether the Electoral Commission has established a policy on the circumstances in which it would use its enhanced powers to obtain company information.
The Commission does not have a separate policy relating to the powers conferred to it in the Economic Crime and Transparency Act 2023. Its Enforcement policy sets out how it works with other regulatory bodies, and includes detail on sharing information.It states that the Commission shares information with other regulatory bodies where it is able to and it is appropriate to do so. Where a matter under investigation includes an offence or offences where more than one enforcement body has an interest, it will liaise with other regulatory bodies or the police at the earliest possible stage to minimise duplication of investigative work.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has received any representation from Labour Together in 2023 or 2024 relating to the disclosure of materials relating to the Electoral Commission investigation into Labour Together.
The Commission does not disclose details of correspondence related to its investigations , so it would not be appropriate to confirm whether it received representations in relation to this matter.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what Freedom of Information Act requests has the Electoral Commission substantively disclosed information in response to, on Labour Together, since 2021, which have not been published on the Electoral Commission’s FOI disclosure log.
Since 2021, the Commission has received 16 Freedom of Information requests relating to Labour Together.The Commission receives a high volume of complex FOI requests, and therefore does not routinely publish all FOI responses on its disclosure log.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission plans to ask political parties and regulated donees to declare donations over £500 made by cryptocurrencies.
If the market value in GBP of any cryptoasset received by a party or regulated donee is greater than £500, they must treat it as a donation and check the donor is permissible. If it is greater than the reporting threshold (£11,180), it must be reported to the Commission.Donations in cryptoassets of £500 or less are outside the scope of electoral law and do not need to be recorded or reported.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has a list of the organisations currently registered as Members’ Associations.
The Electoral Commission does not hold a register of members associations, as there is no registration requirement for these groups. Members associations are subject to controls on the donations and loans they accept towards their political activities within their party.Members associations must report to the Commission on any donations or loans they accept. Reports must be made within 30 days of accepting the donation or entering into the loan. These reports are published on the Commission’s website.