Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000: Statutory Review of Sums

Oliver Dowden Excerpts

Monday 4th November 2019 Written Statements

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Oliver Dowden)]

As required under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), this statement confirms that the Government will not be making an order during the course of this Parliament to alter the specified sums and reporting thresholds for (broadly) donations and loans to political parties and candidates.

PPERA allows the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office to amend the majority of the sums and reporting thresholds contained in the Act by order. This can be done either to reflect an alteration in the value of money (e.g. arising from a change in inflation rates) or to give effect to a recommendation made by the Electoral Commission.

Where the Secretary of State or the Minister for the Cabinet Office decides not to amend the sums contained in part 4, part 4A, schedule 11, section 95(B)(6), schedule 11 A, schedule 15 and schedule 19A of the Act, a statement must be made to Parliament explaining why. Broadly, these provisions set the sums and reporting thresholds relating to donations and loans to political parties and permitted participants in referendums.

The Government had no grounds to consider the existing sums in PPERA to be inappropriate. With the date now set for an early general election on 12 December, we are now unable to prepare and lay secondary legislation by the end of this Parliament in any event.

[HCWS78]