Party Funding Legislation (Hansard, 10 March 2003)

§ 25. Martin Linton (Battersea)
What discussions he has had with the chairman of the Electoral Commission on his current review of party funding legislation. [101631]

§ Mrs. Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton)
My hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) has had no discussions with the chairman of the Electoral Commission about that matter.

§ Martin Linton
May I ask the hon. Lady to ask her hon. Friend to have some discussions with the commission chairman about that? When she does so, will she urge him to give priority to lower spending limits for elections, a cap on donations, and a greater degree of support for political parties in the work that they do that is not directly political, such as training, international work and youth work? Will she assure him that there will be cross-party support on the issue, given that the Conservative party has received more money from public funds than it has in cash donations in the latest quarter, according to Electoral Commission figures—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. One question.

§ Mrs. Browning
I think that I have got the hon. Gentleman's drift, Mr. Speaker.
The hon. Gentleman will understand that, in fact, the whole Committee, not just my hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers), will have those discussions with the Electoral Commission, but I hope that he will be encouraged to know—this picks up several of the issues that he raises—that the commission has two reviews under way: a short review of electoral reform and the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998, which will be completed in May, and a more root-and-branch review of party funding, which will report by the first quarter of 2004.