Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her proposals for new prospective candidate donation requirements, whether the returns will be published by (a) local authorities or (b) the Electoral Commission.

In response to Recommendation 4 of the Rycroft Review, the Government announced in July our intention to introduce permissibility and transparency requirements for donations to prospective candidates outside of formal regulated periods.

Our intention is for candidates to be required to (i) provide a declaration to confirm donations used to fund campaigning activity prior to formal candidacy are from permissible sources and (ii) report any donations received during this period which exceed £2,230.

We are continuing at pace to develop legislative proposals and are engaging with relevant stakeholders, including Party representatives at the Parliamentary Parties Panel, as per our commitment. The Government will bring forward details of these proposals in due course.