Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the report, Digital campaigning, Increasing transparency for voters, published by the Electoral Commission in June 2018, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that digital material must have an imprint indicating which organisation or individual (a) was behind the campaign and (b) created it.

In March 2018, the Government committed to consult on whether the requirement for an imprint should be extended to electronic communications, in its response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s, ‘Review of Intimidation in Public Life’, which was published in December 2017.

On 29 July 2018, the Cabinet Office launched an open consultation entitled ‘Protecting the Debate: Intimidating, Influence and Information’, which seeks views on proposed changes to electoral law, including the inclusion of imprints on digital campaign materials.

The consultation will close at midnight on 22 October 2018 and is available at GOV.UK.

Following the conclusion of the consultation the Government will consider the submitted responses and decide on an appropriate course of action.