§ 29. Simon Hughes (Southwark, North and Bermondsey)What monitoring of electoral literature the commission carries out. [107090]
§ Mr. Peter Viggers (representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission)The commission does not have a specific role in monitoring electoral literature, although it maintains an overview of the way that the law operates in that area.
§ Simon HughesGiven that all our constituencies and all the opinion polls show that the one thing that electors want from all parties in the House and elsewhere is more information that is, to use the words of the Advertising Standards Authority, "decent, honest and truthful", would it be helpful to the interests of the credibility of politics were the Electoral Commission to consider the issue and come forward with recommendations that we could all follow to public advantage?
§ Mr. ViggersI am not exactly certain what the hon. Gentleman is urging. If there is a breach of electoral law, it is a matter for the police prosecuting authority: it is not a matter in which the Electoral Commission becomes directly involved.