Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Cunningham Excerpts

Wednesday 28th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. It is right in this year that we take the opportunity to continue to highlight why it is important that we see more people, particularly women, getting involved in public life. There is £5 million available, and I am sure that the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Chloe Smith), will be happy to liaise with her on that. Again, I have to say that we all need to play a part in encouraging more people from diverse backgrounds to get involved and to feel free to get involved in politics.

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

4. What steps the Government are taking to ensure the transparency of donations and loans to political parties.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chloe Smith)]

Donations and loans to political parties are subject to transparency rules, as set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government remain committed to such transparency, recently passing legislation to extend the requirements to donations and loans in Northern Ireland for the first time.

[Alex Cunningham]

In the light of recent revelations, how much of the hundreds of thousands of pounds donated to the Tory party by Russians will be returned?

[Chloe Smith]

The rules on donations are very clear in terms of permissibility and impermissibility: British citizens are entitled to donate to UK political parties and foreign donors are not.