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 81–100 of 126 · Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41450 on Electoral Commission: Companies House, whether the Electoral Commission has made requests to Companies House to obtain additional information under the provisions in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
The Electoral Commission has not made any requests to Companies House under the provisions in the Economic Crime and Transparency Act 2023.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 on the work of the Electoral Commission.
The Commission regularly assesses the impact of legislation on its work, including the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024. The Act makes a number of changes to electoral law in Wales, including the establishment of an Electoral Management Board, new provisions on voter registration, powers for a wider range of electoral innovation pilots, and alignment with legislation for reserved elections in some areas such as accessibility, undue influence, and notional expenditure.The Commission has been working with the Welsh Government and the wider electoral community to ensure that changes to elections in Wales are delivered successfully. It will develop updated guidance and resources for electoral administrators, campaigners and voters to reflect the changes that are being introduced. The Commission also has a duty to evaluate any pilots that are held in Wales.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 45675 on Candidates: Expenditure, whether the Electoral Commission releases candidate returns under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Electoral Commission does not release candidate spending returns under the Freedom of Information Act.The Representation of the People Act 1983 requires returning officers to make candidate spending returns available for two years. As such, spending returns are considered reasonably accessible by other means, and so are exempt from disclosure by the Commission under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43087 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Electoral Commission has given on whether items of notional expenditure below £50 count towards the aggregate spending limit.
The Commission’s guidance for candidates states that items provided for free or at a non-commercial discount with a value of £50 or less are not regarded in law as notional spending. They do not need to be recorded on a candidate’s spending return or counted towards their spending limit.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission issues to candidates on declaring notional expenditure associated with policing and security while campaigning in the regulated period as an election expense.
The Commission’s guidance on candidate spending laws explains that reasonable expenses relating to the protection of persons or property, such as hiring security, do not count as candidate spending. It therefore does not need to be declared on a candidate’s spending return.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2025, to Question 22035, on Candidates: Expenditure, if he will publish a copy of the spending return for the hon. Member for Hamilton and Clyde Valley at the 2024 General Election.
The Electoral Commission does not have the legal power to publish full candidate spending returns.Returning Officers must make the full returns available for public scrutiny on request for a period of two years beginning with the date when the return is received.Headline figures from candidate spending returns, including the constituency of Hamilton and Clyde Valley, were published on the Commission’s website on 18 March. The Commission publishes these so that voters and candidates can see how much was spent and ensure spending limits have been observed.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has provided on whether a linked donation which a Parliamentary candidate benefits from but given to a national political party during the 2024 general election short campaign, must be declared in the candidate’s Representation of the People Act return.
The Electoral Commission publishes guidance for candidates and agents on donations that are held on a candidate's behalf by a party, such as in a local party fighting fund. How a donation must be reported depends on the intention of the donor and who controls the donation once received.If a donation is held by the party but made with the intention that the candidate benefits and is made available to the candidate, it must be declared in the candidate's spending return.If there is no intention to donate to the candidate, or the donation is received and controlled by the party, this is likely to be a party donation. If the party then uses the donation to benefit the candidate, the candidate may need to report a seperate donation from the party.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has produced guidance on the inclusion of local Electoral Returning Officers within the definition of local authorities for the Re-use of Public Sector Information.
The Electoral Commisson has not produced guidance on the inclusion of local Electoral Returning Officers within the definition of local authorities for the Re-Use of Public Sector Information.The Electoral Commission produces guidance on the roles and responsibilities of Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers in carrying out the statutory functions to deliver well-run electoral services.The Information Commissioner's Office is responsible for enforcing data protection legislation and has produced guidance for publice sector bodies covered by the Re-Use Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (RPSI)
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37583 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has issued on (a) itemising and (b) listing notional spending below £50 in Representation of the People Act returns where the total notional expenditure from that organisation is greater than £50.
The Elecotoral Commission has published guidance for candidates and agents on reporting notional expenditure. Property, goods, services or facilities received over the value of £50, provided for free or at a non-commercial discount, must be reported as candidate spending and as a donation. There are no requirements in law for candidates to report items of notional spending where the value is £50 or lower.Candidates do not need to itemise or list individual items of spending with a value of £50 or below, even when they have received multiple items of spending from the same organisation with a total value over £50.Agents are required to include the details of any reportable notional expenditure, and a declaration of its value in the candidate spending return.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 37580 on Electoral Commission: Companies House, what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with Companies House on the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
The Electoral Commission has not had discussions with Companies House on the legislation referred to by the Hon. Gentleman.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31951 on Local Government Boundary Commission for England, whether the Local Government Boundary Commission for England has told the Speaker's Committee that it requires resources for formal structural reviews of local authority (i) wards and (ii) boundaries.
The Speaker's Committee plans to hold a public evidence session with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) on 19 March 2025 to consider its draft supply estimate for 2025/26. This session will be made available on Parliament Live.Following the meeting, the Speaker's Committee is expected to publish the explanatory memorandum produced by the Commission explaining the content of its Estimate and justifying proposed funding requests. The Committee is also expected to consider the Commission's new five year corporate plan which outlines the LGBCE's objectives and expenditure plans over the next five years.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to section 94 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, whether the Electoral Commission has been granted enhanced powers to access Companies House information.
Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House has powers to share information with individuals and public authorities, including the Electoral Commission, as long as the disclosure aligns with the functions of the receiving public authority and is not in breach of data protection legislation.The Commission has not received information using these powers since the law received Royal Assent in 2023.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, for what reason the Electoral Commission briefing entitled Parliamentary briefing: Political finance rules, sent to hon. Members on 4 March 2025, states that unincorporated associations are not required to check that those who donate to them are permissible.
The Political Parties, Election and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) sets out the permissibility rules for political donations.Unincorporated associations who donate to political parties are required to be permissable donors. However, those who give money to an unincorporated association are not required to be. Unincorporated associations are therefore not required to check that those who donate to them are permissable.The Commission has recommended a change to the law to require unincorporated associations to ensure that any political donations come from permissable donors. This would strengthen the political finance system and provide transparency for voters.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission issues fines to political parties that narrowly miss a reporting deadline.
The Electoral Commission takes enforcement action, including using investigatory powers and sanctions, where it is satisfied that it is necessary and proportionate to do so. Where it is satisfied it can resolve a matter without enforcement action, it will do so. It issues fines for missed reporting deadlines where it is not satisfied it can achieve its regulatory aims though other means.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31952 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has provided on (a) whether a battlebus must be declared as a local candidate expense if the candidate participates in campaigning with the battlebus and (b) the definitions of (i) directing, (ii) encouraging and (iii) authorising the spending.
The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates on how to distinguish between party and candidate spending, and how to report such spending. The classification of spend on a battlebus visit will depend on whether the spending promotes the party or the candidate.Activity promoting the candidate must be reported on the candidate return if it is authorised by the candidate or qualifies as notional spending. There is a £700 limit on unauthorised spending to promote the candidate, which would be reported on the party return. The Commission’s guidance includes a number of examples of campaign events and how these would be reported.The Commission has also published guidance on the tests for notional spending, including how to identify when an item has been made use of by the candidate or someone on their behalf. Someone can only make use of an item on behalf of the candidate if that use has been directed, authorised, or encouraged by the candidate or their agent.The Commission has not published a specific definition of “directed, authorised, or encouraged”; these terms are interpreted according to their commonplace use.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31952 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has provided on (a) what (i) petrol, (ii) staffing, (iii) coach hire and (iv) other costs of a battlebus should be assigned to local candidate spend and (b) whether this includes travel outside a constituency to the constituency.
The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates on how to distinguish between party and candidate spending, and how to report such spending. The classification of spend on a battlebus visit will depend on whether the spending promotes the party or the candidate.The Commission’s guidance includes a number of examples of campaign events and how these would be reported.The Commission has published guidance for candidates on transport costs. Reportable transport costs include the costs of transporting volunteers, party members or other campaigners around the electoral area, or to and from the electoral area, where they are undertaking campaigning on behalf of the candidate. This includes the costs of transport hire and fuel.The Commission has also published guidance for candidates on staff costs. Costs for staff directly employed by the party do not count towards party spending limits. However, if staff are provided to a candidate for their campaign, staff costs would need to be reported by the candidate as notional spending.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will ask the Electoral Commission to publish (a) invoices and (b) receipts relating to its spending by the Labour Party on its battlebus during the 2024 general election campaign.
The use of a battlebus by the Labour Party was reported in its return submitted to the Electoral Commission in January.The Commission will publish the spending returns for parties and campaigners that spent over £250,000 at the 2024 general election in the coming months.As part of this, it will publish invoices and receipts for any payment over £200, which parties have to submit with the details of their spending.This is an important part of the Commission’s work to provide voters with transparency over the money spent and received at the election.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the status is of the Electoral Commission's investigation into the donation from the Foundation for European Progressive Studies to the Fabian Society; and what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued on the permissibility of donations through the European Parliament's programme for European political parties and European political foundations for UK (a) political parties, (b) regulated donees and (c) member associations.
The Electoral Commission is currently considering the matter in line with its regulatory remit. It does not have an investigation open.The Commission has not published specific guidance on the permissibility of the programme mentioned. The Commission's guidance for political parties and regulated donees, including members associations, provides a list of permissible sources for donations.Its guidance states that donations towards members association's political activities within their party can only come from permissible sources. These activities include promoting or developing policies with a view to their adoption by the party.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued to political (a) parties, (b) agents and (c) candidates on the (i) use of battlebuses in regulated election period and (ii) circumstances in which their use should be declared as a local candidate expense.
The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates and agents on spending by the party to promote a candidate during the candidate regulated period.The guidance sets out how to identify whether an activity promotes a candidate, and if so, how this should be reported. In most cases, activity promoting a candidate must be reported on the candidate return, either as notional spending or as spending authorised by the candidate. In the case of a battlebus visit, this will depend on the content of the event and the role of the candidate or agent in directing, encouraging, or authorising the spending.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission had discussions with Leicestershire Police on (a) electoral fraud and (b) the issuing of unauthorised and anonymous literature during the 2024 General Election.
As part of its work to support the police, the Commission has provided advice to Leicestershire Police in relation to its enquiries into complaints about campaign literature distributed without an imprint at the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election.The police are responsible for enforcing imprints laws on candidate literature.