Kevin Hollinrake

The Commission will publish returns recieved from registered non-party campaigners in two stages, with returns under £250,000 published shortly and those over £250,000 published in the coming months.

Non-party campaigners are required to register with the Electoral Commission if they intend to spend more than £10,000 on regulated campaigning ahead of a general election. However, they are only required to report their spending and donations to the Commission if they spend more than £20,000 in England, or £10,000 in any other part of the UK.

Labour Together registered with the Commission in March 2024. Following the election, they confirmed they did not exceed the reporting threshold. As a result, they are not required to submit a return.

The Electoral Commission publishes data and research on elections taking place in the UK, including electorate figures.

Figures on the number registered voters at each general election since 2010 are in the table below.

The Electoral Commission does not have regulatory or enforcement powers with regard to candidate spending and donations. It does, however, publish candidate returns together in one place in order to provide voters with greater transparency and a fuller picture of the money spent and recieved by the candidates at the election. It will publish headline figures from candidate spending returns at the 2024 general election in due course.

The charge to be supplied of copies of the election expenses is 20p per copy page, as set out in regulation 10 (3) of the Representation of the People Regulations 2001. The legislation does not specify whether this is in paper or electronc form.

As the legislation does not specify format, and as the fee is intended to cover the administrative costs of providing these documents, it may be applied to electronic documentation provided by email.

The Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010. The duty will require specified public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage. Public bodies specified by the duty include county and district councils, the Greater London Authority, and London Borough councils. We will support public bodies to ensure that they have clarity as to how to meet the duty in readiness for commencement.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance to support returning officers to deliver well-run elections that maintain public confidence, including on the inspection and supply of candidate spending returns and declaration.

The Commission’s guidance states that the prescribed fee for the supply of copies of a return, declaration or accompanying document is 20p. This fee is intended to cover the administrative costs associated with providing these documents.

The Electoral Commission’s guidance sets out the law, which states that the loan of accommodation to a Parliamentary candidate during the election campaign would typically be notional spending and a donation.

However, if the accommodation provided is an individual’s main residence and it is made available free of charge, this is exempt and would not need to be reported as election spending.

The Electoral Commission has received candidate spending returns from returning officers for all 650 constituencies contested at the 2024 UK parliamentary general election. To support transparency, the Commission plans to publish headline spending and donations totals from the most recent general election in due course.

The Commission has a legal remit to secure compliance with the rules on candidates’ spending and donations, but has no role or sanctioning powers in respect of breaches. Enforcing the Representation of the People Act 1983 is the responsibility of the police.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance to support candidates to understand the law and their reporting obligations.

The guidance states that where candidates have split costs for an item of spending, each candidate must report the proportion of the costs that are attributable to their election campaign. Where multiple elections are held concurrently, candidates should make an honest assessment of the costs that are attributable to their campaign.

If a candidate has paid over £20 for the item, the invoice is required. If a candidate has received the item for free, this is likely to be notional spending, and the law does not require an invoice.

As set out in its Terms of Reference, the Council of the Nations and Regions is a central, driving, forum that brings together governments and authorities with devolved responsibilities to determine actions for tackling some of the biggest and most cross-cutting challenges the country faces. Local government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is devolved, with the devolved governments responsible for the further devolution of powers to, and direct relationships with, respective local governments.

The interests of non-executive board members and public appointments will continue to be updated and published bi-annually as part of an established process as set out in the Non-Executive Board Member declaration of interests process - GOV.UK.

The Governance Code on Public appointments makes clear that political activity should not affect any judgement of merit nor be a bar to appointment for a candidate being considered for a public appointment. The Governance Code already requires, for successful candidates, public disclosure where candidates, in the last five years, have been employed by a political party, held a significant office in a party, have stood as a candidate for a party in an election, have publicly spoken on behalf of a political party, or have made significant donations or loans to a party.

The Secretariat for the Council of the Nations and Regions is located in the Cabinet Office. The Secretariat’s responsibilities include organising meetings of the Delivery Group, which is comprised of representatives of Council attendees, to plan and deliver meetings, and track any agreed actions.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9 January is attached.

There is nothing further to add to my answer of 19 December, Official Report, PQ 20229

I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 4 December, Official Report, 14994. The official read-out is a summary of the issues discussed at their meeting.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 4 December, Official Report, 14994. The official read-out is a summary of the issues discussed at their meeting.

I refer the Hon Member to my Hon Friends answer of 6 December, Official Report, 17009.

Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published routinely on Gov.uk as part of the Government’s transparency agenda.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success.

Professional mentoring can have a positive impact on business growth. Opportunities to access a mentor are actively signposted through the Help to Grow campaign site at https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/.

The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed continued funding for Help to Grow: Management, which provides dedicated mentoring support, and to local Growth Hubs, many of which provide access to business mentors.

The Government will bring forward a Small Business Strategy Command Paper in 2025, setting out the Government’s detailed vision for supporting small businesses.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Since July, the Department for Business and Trade has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement around the Employment Rights Bill and broader Plan to Make Work Pay.

Such engagement has been underpinned by a strong commitment to working in partnership with businesses and trade unions to ensure policy is firmly pro-business and pro-worker.

This approach to engagement has received praise from businesses and trade unions alike and will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

The Department for Business and Trade is grateful for the Select Committee’s observations.

The Committee’s concerns about the use of delegated powers in the Bill were also raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in its report of 15 October

The Government responded to that report on 28 October and will respond to the Constitution Committee in due course.

The Secretary of State works closely with all his cabinet colleagues, including the Deputy Prime Minister as part of the normal operation of Government. For example, the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister have jointly met with businesses and trade unions on several occasions.

The Secretary of State has met once with representatives of Santander since 5 July 2024.

Officials from the Department for Business and Trade engaged with DP World in advance of the International Investment Summit, on both the 10th and 13th October, to finalise communications plans surrounding their investment announcement at the Summit. Ministers also engaged with DP World as an attendee of the International Investment Summit. In relation to DP World, no benefits – financial or otherwise – have been offered, discussed, or agreed since the date specified.

The Department for Business and Trade was delighted to announce Santander UK’s three-year commitment to sponsor a package of trade related events on 22 October. This involves sponsorship rights at International Trade Week, a series of UK Export Academy webinars, and a number of tradeshows over the period. Specific events may vary over the term of the agreement. Santander UK is investing £750,000 over three years and is also hosting additional events at its own cost.

The Department for Business and Trade was delighted to announce Santander UK’s three-year commitment to sponsor a package of trade related events on 22 October. This involves sponsorship rights at International Trade Week, a series of UK Export Academy webinars, and a number of tradeshows over the period. Specific events may vary over the term of the agreement. Santander UK is investing £750,000 over three years and is also hosting additional events at its own cost.

Numbers of VAT and/or PAYE registered businesses in new parliamentary constituencies (2024) broken down by broad industry group, employment and turnover size-bands were published by ONS on 3^rd October 2024, at the request of DBT.