Kevin Hollinrake

Changes to the voting age need to be implemented in a way which carefully manages the pressures on election teams and ensures newly enfranchised voters understand how to participate.

The Commission is continuing to discuss the sequencing of steps with the UK Government, to maximise the ease for new eligible voters to get on the register

The Commission is concerned about any harassment of voters, and works with partners including the police to assess any allegations. It sets clear expectations about campaigner behaviour outside polling station through the code of conduct for campaigners.

The Commission has reviewed the feedback from polling station staff at the May 2026 elections that was collated by Birmingham City Council. It may report on it in the future.

Donation V0598868 was made for the purpose of paying for certain qualifying costs for an overseas visit. Such donations are permissible as long as they do not exceed a reasonable amount for the costs of the visit.

The Commission has not published guidance on Account Freezing Orders or Freezing Injunctions.

The Commission has not published such guidance or advice.

The Commission was not consulted.

The Commission publishes guidance on donations to Members of Parliament. Donations over £50 that are given towards the candidate’s spending during the candidate regulated period must be from a permissible source. Controls on donations to elected office holders only apply once an individual has been elected.

The Commission undertook this research independently and of its own initiative following public debate about donation caps. It published the research to support debate during passage of the Representation of the People Bill. It was not requested by any third party.

The Commission publishes guidance for political parties on notional spending which outlines the rules around staff costs and volunteer time.

Directly employed staff are excluded from party campaign spending. However, if an employer seconds a member of staff to a party’s campaign, their gross salary and any additional allowances count as a donation, and notional spending if it is in a regulated period. Volunteer time does not count as spending or a donation.

The Government is committed to defending the invaluable role of a free and independent media. Harassment and intimidation of journalists is unacceptable and incompatible with a healthy and functioning democracy.

Through the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which brings DCMS together with the Home Office, criminal justice partners, civil society and media organisations, we work to ensure journalists can carry out their work free from threats, intimidation and violence. The Committee's National Action Plan supports efforts to improve the safety of journalists operating in the UK.

The Department also engages regularly with media organisations on current threats facing journalists and developments affecting the media landscape, including allegations of intimidation. Issues shared by the industry help to inform the work of the National Committee.

The Gambling Commission is not able to comment on or confirm or deny whether they are investigating operators based on intelligence as doing so may prejudice any operation.

The provision of polling is not specifically covered in the Commission’s guidance.

However, the guidance is clear that any services provided to a party other than on commercial terms will be a donation if it is worth over £500. In these circumstances a donation would need to come from a permissible source.

The Commission has not provided specific advice or guidance on section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Once live, the Commission’s new Political Finance Online system will provide more transparency and make it easier for users to identify the different types of donations, including those that are sponsorship.

In the meantime, the Commission will add explanatory notes to sponsorship donations when publishing updates to the register. This will provide important context for voters.

The Commission holds copies of the electoral registers for research and regulatory purposes.

The Commission’s guidance for candidates and political parties outlines that activities included as election spending are those that are made use of during the regulated period.

Any event that took place after the election would not count as a regulated activity as it is not during the regulated period.

The Metropolitan Police has made a statement on its ongoing investigation, and the Commission is considering all relevant information and regulatory steps. It cannot comment any further while these enquiries are underway.

Under the Data Protection (Charges and Information) Regulations 2018, organisations, including sole traders, that process personal data are required to pay a data protection fee to the Information Commission unless an exemption applies. The Information Commission (ICO) provides guidance and an online assessment tool to help individuals and organisations determine whether they are required to pay the fee.

The ICO is required to assess (“provide an opinion”), approve, and publish UK GDPR codes of conduct which meet article 40 requirements. The Association of British Investigators' UK GDPR Code of Conduct for Investigative and Litigation Support Services’ is approved and published by the ICO and is intended to help members apply the law and demonstrate compliance with relevant data protection requirements. The code is a voluntary one and includes advice, guidance, and practical examples in relation to:

• the roles and responsibilities of code members when acting as controllers, joint controllers or processors;

• Data Protection Impact Assessments;

• identification of the lawful basis for processing personal data; legitimate interests assessments; and

• consent to share when tracing and locating individuals in certain cases.

SSAIB has been accredited as a monitoring body by the ICO and will be responsible for the monitoring of the ABI code of conduct.

The ICO does take the opportunity to support relevant communications on this, eg on social media, trade press, speaking at ABI UK Investigator conferences etc. They encourage all organisations to voluntarily sign up to a UK GDPR Code of Conduct in their sector, but responsibility for the primary promotion of UK GDPR codes following publication is usually undertaken by the Code owner.

Under the Data Protection (Charges and Information) Regulations 2018, organisations, including sole traders, that process personal data are required to pay a data protection fee to the Information Commission unless an exemption applies. The Information Commission (ICO) provides guidance and an online assessment tool to help individuals and organisations determine whether they are required to pay the fee.

The ICO is required to assess (“provide an opinion”), approve, and publish UK GDPR codes of conduct which meet article 40 requirements. The Association of British Investigators' UK GDPR Code of Conduct for Investigative and Litigation Support Services’ is approved and published by the ICO and is intended to help members apply the law and demonstrate compliance with relevant data protection requirements. The code is a voluntary one and includes advice, guidance, and practical examples in relation to:

• the roles and responsibilities of code members when acting as controllers, joint controllers or processors;

• Data Protection Impact Assessments;

• identification of the lawful basis for processing personal data; legitimate interests assessments; and

• consent to share when tracing and locating individuals in certain cases.

SSAIB has been accredited as a monitoring body by the ICO and will be responsible for the monitoring of the ABI code of conduct.

The ICO does take the opportunity to support relevant communications on this, eg on social media, trade press, speaking at ABI UK Investigator conferences etc. They encourage all organisations to voluntarily sign up to a UK GDPR Code of Conduct in their sector, but responsibility for the primary promotion of UK GDPR codes following publication is usually undertaken by the Code owner.

The Commission’s guidance for regulated donees explains what does and doesn’t count as a donation, including in relation to security costs.

It outlines that any money or other property, service or facility provided out of public funds for the personal security of an individual regulated donee is not treated as a donation.

However, if security services are gifted or paid for, other than on commercial terms, it should be treated as a donation if its value is more than £500.

The Commission provides guidance to regulated donees on staffing donations. It sets out circumstances where an individual works for a regulated donee but their salary is paid by someone else. When this happens, the value of the work is a donation. The guidance sets out how the value of this donation is determined – which depends on whether the services provided are what the employer is in business to provide (such as IT services or consultancy work).

The Government is committed to commencing section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, requiring registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selections in accordance with regulations.

There is currently careful consideration being given on how this could be implemented, the necessary supporting regulations and timeline, as well as the specifics with regards to data collection.

The Government intends to involve all relevant stakeholders in the implementation process when this is taken forward. In the meantime it remains open to registered parties to publish their own candidate diversity data.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to the answer given to Question 21248.

The Metropolitan Police Service has issued a statement about an ongoing police investigation. The Electoral Commission cannot comment further.

Electoral registration officers manage the electoral register for their local authority area, including requests for access to and supply of the register.

The Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and agents states that permissibility and reporting requirements apply only to donations received after the official date of candidacy. The earliest date of official candidacy is the day of the dissolution of Parliament (the start of the “short campaign”).

For incumbent MPs, separate permissibility and reporting requirements apply to donations towards their re-election campaign received prior to the official date of candidacy. These are reported to the Electoral Commission via the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

The Electoral Commission is currently considering this matter under its regulatory remit.

A party must report spending to promote party list candidates at Senedd elections. The Electoral Commission’s guidance states that the £200 notional spending threshold for party spending applies. For individual candidates, the guidance states that the £50 candidate notional spending threshold applies.

The Electoral Commission assessment of the May 2026 elections will be published in a post-poll report shortly. It publishes data from police services on allegations of electoral fraud annually, and will do so in March next year.

The Commission has discussed the offences that the UK Government may prescribe in secondary legislation. The Electoral Commission continues to work closely with the Government, through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on implementing the measures in the Bill.

The Commission adds explanatory notes on sponsorship when publishing updates to the register.

Where an intermediary is simply handling a donation – for example, when a donor gives money to a fundraising group with the intent that it is passed on to a specific Member of Parliament – the intermediary is required to provide the details of the donor so that this can be checked and reported by the ultimate recipient of the donation.

When reported to the Electoral Commission, the name of the donor will be published on the register of donations. There is no provision for reporting or publishing the details of the intermediary.

The UK Government has asked the Commission to complete its review of spending limits by July 2027. On 29 August, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the First Secretary of State wrote to the Commission to extend the review to include candidate spending limits.

The Electoral Commission already provides guidance to Returning Officers on how to conduct well run election counts.

The Metropolitan Police Service has issued a statement about an ongoing police investigation. The Electoral Commission cannot comment further.

The Electoral Commission’s statutory guidance on digital imprints outlines the exemptions that apply to digital material, including journalism.

The Metropolitan Police Service has issued a statement about an ongoing police investigation. The Electoral Commission cannot comment further.

The requirement to register donations in the 12 months before they are elected is set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Chapter 1 of the Code of Conduct and Guide to the Rules:

1. Paragraph 5 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament provides:

Members must fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. New Members must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and Members must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days.

2. The House therefore requires new Members, within one month of their election, to register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election. After that, Members are required to register within 28 days any change in those registrable interests. Such a change includes both the acquisition of a new interest and the ceasing of any registered interest, for example because an employment has ceased or because a holding has reduced in value or been sold.

The rules on registering donations (Category 2) are set out in paragraphs 15 to 20 of Chapter 1.

The AI feature assists staff in identifying duplicate questions by finding and listing questions which have been submitted previously where there is 80% or greater level of similarity. The Table Office reports that it is a helpful tool to support staff in identifying identical or near identical text duplicates. Pre-existing tools such as Parliamentary Search continue to be used to support the identification of duplicate questions. In any case, staff are responsible for reviewing the questions to assess whether the rules of order relating to questions already answered are engaged. The Table Office is happy to demonstrate the tool to Members who are interested in it.

The Electoral Commission provides authoritative advice on the permissibility of donors.

The following paragraphs of Chapter 1 of the Code of Conduct and Guide to the Rules provide advice on the registration of interests received in the 12 months before a Members’ election and on the permissibility of donors.

1. Paragraph 5 of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament provides:

Members must fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. New Members must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and Members must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days.

2. The House therefore requires new Members, within one month of their election, to register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election. After that, Members are required to register within 28 days any change in those registrable interests. Such a change includes both the acquisition of a new interest and the ceasing of any registered interest, for example because an employment has ceased or because a holding has reduced in value or been sold.

Permissible donors

19. Members must not accept any donations, loans, security or other support valued at over £500 from impermissible donors. They must also report them to the Electoral Commission within 30 days of receipt. The following are permissible donors:

• an individual registered in a UK electoral register (or a bequest from such an individual);
• a UK registered company which is incorporated within the EU and carries on business in the UK;
• a Great Britain registered political party;
• a UK registered trade union;
• a UK registered building society;
• a UK registered limited liability partnership that carries on business in the UK;
• a UK registered friendly society;
• a UK based unincorporated association that carries on business or other activities in the UK.

20. In addition, certain trusts may be permissible as donors, but not as lenders or providers of security or credit. Local councils are not permissible donors or lenders.

23. Before accepting any benefit over £500 which would require registration in this category (including a credit facility or a loan which exceeds £500 in value), Members are required to satisfy themselves that it is from a permissible donor, and to notify the Electoral Commission within 30 days of any impermissible donations.

The requirements for registering interests and information that has to be supplied is set out in Chapter 1 of the Code of Conduct and Guide to the Rules.

The Commissioner has issued an Advice Note on the transparency of registrations in response to questions raised by Members of Parliament. That Advice Note can be accessed here: advice-note-2023.01.11-2---transparency-of-registration.pdf

The Electoral Commission's guidance for regulated donees sets out what constitutes political activities for members of registered parties, under Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Paragraph 1(4) of Schedule 7 of PPERA 2000 provides a list of examples of political activities for party members and members associations for purposes of that schedule. The examples listed are non-exhaustive.

The Electoral Commission was not consulted on the decision.

The Commission has been clear in its communication with the Government and in its public statements that scheduled elections should be postponed only in exceptional circumstances.