Part 2Non-party campaigning etc
Recognised third parties, information and reports
33Reporting of donations to recognised third parties
1
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is amended in accordance with subsections (2) to (8).
2
After section 95 (control of donations to recognised third parties) insert—
Quarterly and weekly reports of donations to recognised third parties
95AQuarterly donation reports
1
The responsible person in relation to a recognised third party must, in respect of each reporting period that falls within a pre-dissolution period, prepare a report about reportable donations (“a quarterly report”).
2
The reporting periods are—
a
the period of 3 months beginning with the first day of the pre-dissolution period,
b
each succeeding period of 3 months falling within the pre-dissolution period, and
c
any final period of less than 3 months falling within that period.
3
A “pre-dissolution period” means a period—
a
beginning with the first day of a qualifying regulated period, and
b
ending with the day before the day (or the last day) during that qualifying regulated period on which Parliament is dissolved.
4
A “qualifying regulated period” is a period in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections) other than a period including the date of the poll for an early parliamentary general election.
5
An “early parliamentary general election” is a parliamentary general election the date of the poll for which is appointed under section 2(7) of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.
6
A quarterly report must comply with the requirements of Schedule 11A.
7
A “reportable donation” means a relevant donation (within the meaning of Schedule 11) which—
a
is received by the recognised third party in respect of the relevant election or elections the poll or polls for which take place during the qualifying regulated period, and
b
is accepted, or is dealt with in accordance with section 56(2) (as applied by paragraph 7 of Schedule 11), by the recognised third party during the reporting period.
8
A quarterly report must be delivered to the Commission by the responsible person within the period of 30 days beginning with the end of the reporting period to which it relates.
9
The report must be accompanied by a declaration signed by the responsible person stating that, to the best of that person's knowledge and belief—
a
all reportable donations (if any) recorded in the report as having been accepted by the recognised third party are from permissible donors, and
b
there are no reportable donations which are required to be recorded in the report in accordance with Schedule 11A which are not so recorded.
10
This section does not require the preparation of a quarterly report in respect of a reporting period if no reportable donations are accepted, or dealt with, as described in subsection (7)(b), by the recognised third party during that period.
11
This section does not apply in relation to—
a
a recognised third party which is a registered party other than a minor party, or
b
a recognised Gibraltar third party.
95BWeekly donation reports during general election periods
1
The responsible person in relation to a recognised third party must, in respect of each reporting period that falls within a general election period, prepare a report about substantial donations (“a weekly report”).
2
The reporting periods are—
a
the period of 7 days beginning with the first day of the general election period,
b
each succeeding period of 7 days falling within the general election period, and
c
any final period of less than 7 days falling within that period.
3
A “general election period” means the period—
a
beginning with the day on which Parliament is dissolved for a parliamentary general election, and
b
ending with the date during a qualifying regulated period which is the date of the poll for that election.
4
A weekly report must comply with the requirements of Schedule 11A.
5
A “substantial donation” means a relevant donation of a substantial value which is received by the recognised third party during the reporting period in respect of the relevant election or elections the poll or polls for which take place during the qualifying regulated period.
6
A relevant donation is “of a substantial value” if its value (as determined in accordance with paragraph 5 of Schedule 11) is more than £7,500.
7
A weekly report must be delivered to the Commission by the responsible person within the period of 7 days beginning with the end of the reporting period to which it relates.
8
The report must be accompanied by a declaration signed by the responsible person stating that, to the best of that person's knowledge and belief, no substantial donations have been received by the recognised third party during the reporting period which are required to be recorded in the report in accordance with Schedule 11A and are not so recorded.
9
This section does not require the preparation of a weekly report in respect of a reporting period if no substantial donations are received by the recognised third party during that period.
10
In this section—
“qualifying regulated period” means a period in relation to which any limit is imposed by paragraph 3, 9, 10 or 11 of Schedule 10 (periods involving parliamentary general elections);
“relevant donation” has the same meaning as in Schedule 11.
11
This section does not apply in relation to—
a
a recognised third party which is a registered party other than a minor party, or
b
a recognised Gibraltar third party.
95CRelated offences
1
The responsible person in relation to a recognised third party commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, the responsible person—
a
fails to deliver a quarterly or weekly report in accordance with section 95A(8) or 95B(7),
b
delivers a quarterly or weekly report to the Commission without the accompanying declaration required under section 95A(9) or 95B(8), or
c
delivers a quarterly or weekly report to the Commission which does not comply with the requirements of Schedule 11A.
2
The responsible person in relation to a recognised third party commits an offence if the person knowingly or recklessly makes a false declaration under section 95A(9) or 95B(8).
95DForfeiture
1
The court may, on an application made by the Commission, order the forfeiture by a recognised third party of an amount equal to the value of a relevant donation where the court is satisfied that—
a
a failure by the responsible person to deliver a quarterly or weekly report in accordance with section 95A(8) or 95B(7), or
b
the delivery by the responsible person of a quarterly or weekly report which fails to comply with a requirement of Schedule 11A,
was attributable to an intention on the part of any person to conceal the existence or true amount of the donation.
2
The standard of proof in proceedings on an application under this section is that applicable to civil proceedings.
3
A forfeiture order may be made under this section whether or not proceedings are brought against any person for an offence connected with the donation.
4
In this section “the court” means—
a
in relation to England and Wales, a magistrates' court;
b
in relation to Scotland, the sheriff;
c
in relation to Northern Ireland, a court of summary jurisdiction.
5
Proceedings on an application under this section to the sheriff are civil proceedings.
6
Sections 59 and 60 (appeals etc against forfeiture orders) apply for the purposes, or in connection with the operation, of this section in relation to a recognised third party as they apply for the purposes, or in connection with the operation, of section 58 in relation to a registered party.
7
In this section “relevant donation” has the same meaning as in Schedule 11.
95ESections 95A to 95D: supplementary
1
This section applies where the requirements in section 95A or 95B to prepare quarterly or weekly reports in the case of a pre-dissolution period or a general election period have effect in relation to a recognised third party.
2
If the third party's notification under section 88(1) lapses during the pre-dissolution period or the general election period, the requirements in section 95A or 95B (as the case may be) continue to have effect in relation to the third party—
a
in respect of the reporting period in which the notification lapses, and
b
in respect of each reporting period (if any) which preceded that period and which falls within the pre-dissolution period or the general election period.
3
If the third party's notification under section 88(1) lapses at or after the end of the pre-dissolution period or the general election period, the requirements in section 95A or 95B (as the case may be) continue to have effect in relation to the third party in the case of that period.
4
In a case where subsection (2) or (3) applies, references in sections 95A to 95D to the responsible person are to be read, for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of obligations of the responsible person under those sections, as references to the person who was the responsible person in relation to the recognised third party immediately before the notification lapsed.
5
In this section—
a
“pre-dissolution period” and “reporting period”, in relation to a quarterly report, have the same meaning as in section 95A, and
b
“general election period” and “reporting period”, in relation to a weekly report, have the same meaning as in section 95B.
95FPublic inspection of reports
1
Where the Commission receive a quarterly or weekly report under section 95A or 95B, they must—
a
as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the report, make a copy of the report, and of any documents accompanying it, available for public inspection, and
b
keep any such copy available for public inspection for the period for which the report or other document is kept by them.
2
The Commission must secure that the copy of the report made available for public inspection does not include, in the case of any donation by an individual, the donor's address.
3
At the end of the period of 2 years beginning with the date when any report or other document mentioned in subsection (1) is received by the Commission—
a
they may cause the report or other document to be destroyed, but
b
if requested to do so by the responsible person in relation to the third party concerned, they must arrange for the report or other document to be returned to that person.
3
In section 149(6) (inspection of Commission's registers etc), after paragraph (b) insert—
ba
section 95F,
4
In section 155(3) (power to vary specified sums), after paragraph (c) insert—
ca
section 95B(6);
cb
Schedule 11A;
5
In Schedule 1 (the Commission), in paragraph 3(3)(c), for the words from “the register” to the end substitute
—
i
the register of donations reported under Chapter 3 or 5 of Part 4,
ii
any quarterly or weekly report delivered to the Commission under section 95A or 95B, or
iii
any statement of donations included in a return delivered to the Commission under section 98 or 122;
6
In Schedule 11 (control of donations to recognised third parties), in the heading to Part 3, after “reporting of donations” insert “in section 96 return”.
7
Schedule 4 inserts a new Schedule 11A into that Act.
8
In Schedule 20 (penalties) insert the following entries in the appropriate places—
Section 95C(1)(a) (failure of responsible person to deliver quarterly or weekly report to Commission)
On summary conviction: Level 5
Section 95C(1)(b) (failure to deliver signed declaration with quarterly or weekly report to the Commission)
On summary conviction: statutory maximum or 6 months
On indictment: fine or 1 year
Section 95C(1)(c) (failure to comply with requirements for quarterly or weekly reports)
On summary conviction: statutory maximum or 6 months
On indictment: fine or 1 year
Section 95C(2) (making a false declaration to Commission when delivering quarterly or weekly report)
On summary conviction: statutory maximum or 6 months
On indictment: fine or 1 year
9
If section 85(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 comes into force before the day on which this Act is passed—
a
section 85 of that Act (removal of limit on certain fines on conviction by magistrates' court) applies in relation to the offences in section 95C(1) and (2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (as inserted by this section) on and after that day as if they were relevant offences (as defined in section 85(3) of that Act), and
b
regulations described in section 85(11) of that Act may amend, repeal or otherwise modify amendments made by this section.
C110
The F1Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument make, in relation to the content of quarterly or weekly reports under section 95A or 95B of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (as inserted by this section), such provision as the F1Secretary of State thinks appropriate which corresponds or is similar to any of the amendments made to Part 3 of Schedule 11 to that Act by the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
11
An order under subsection (10) may—
a
make provision amending this section or the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000;
b
make such consequential, supplementary, incidental, transitional or saving provision as the F2Secretary of State thinks appropriate;
c
make different provision for different purposes.
12
A statutory instrument containing an order under subsection (10) may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
F313
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