Political Parties: Finance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the interaction of the provisions of the Representation of the People Bill on corporate donations with the proposed draft guidance by the Electoral Commission on conference sponsorship, and if he will make it his policy to update the Impact Assessment produced for the Bill in light of the Electoral Commission’s proposed changes.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) sets out a comprehensive framework governing political donations and controls on permissible sources of funding. This includes provisions relevant to sponsorship and other forms of support provided to political parties.
Conference-related activity, including sponsorship arrangements, forms part of this broader regulatory framework. Political parties are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to verify the source of funds and ensuring compliance with Electoral Commission guidance.
The Government keeps all aspects of political finance law under review to ensure the framework remains effective and proportionate and will consider changes to legislation where appropriate.
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