General Elections: Party-political Spending

Lord Blunkett Excerpts
Wednesday 29th November 2023

(12 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Penn Portrait Baroness Penn (Con)
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My Lords, the Government have no plans to limit the size of donations made. We have procedures in place to ensure that there is transparency over those donations and, as we are discussing today, spending limits for candidates and parties in elections. That is how we govern the use of money in our political system.

Lord Blunkett Portrait Lord Blunkett (Lab)
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My Lords, I hope that the House and the Minister will forgive me for asking a tangential question. Is it not time that the Government restored the special fund that put those with disabilities on an equal footing in campaigning in a general election?

Baroness Penn Portrait Baroness Penn (Con)
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I hope that the noble Lord will forgive me for acknowledging that it is a slightly tangential question; I may need to write to him with a fuller answer. I remember the establishment of the fund; it was established for very good reasons, so I am happy to take that away and look at it further.