National Security Act 2023

70 Meaning of “political influence activity”

(1) An activity is a “political influence activity” if—

(a) it is within subsection (2), and

(b) the purpose, or one of the purposes, for which it is carried out is the purpose of influencing a matter or person within subsection (3).

(2) The activities within this subsection are—

(a) making any communication to a person listed in Schedule 14;

(b) making a public communication, except where it is reasonably clear from the communication that it is made by or at the direction of the foreign power;

(c) distributing money, goods or services to UK persons.

(3) The matters and persons within this subsection are—

(a) an election or referendum in the United Kingdom,

(b) a decision of—

(i) a Minister of the Crown (within the meaning of the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975) or a United Kingdom government department,

(ii) a Northern Ireland Minister, the First Minister in Northern Ireland, the deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland, a person appointed as a junior Minister under section 19 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a Northern Ireland department or the Executive Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly,

(iii) the Scottish Ministers or the First Minister for Scotland, or

(iv) the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister for Wales or the Counsel General to the Welsh Government,

(c) the proceedings of a UK registered political party, or

(d) a Member of either House of Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru (acting in that capacity).

(4) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) a person makes a public communication if the person—

(a) publishes or disseminates information, a document or other article, or

(b) produces information, a document or other article for publication or dissemination.

(5) In this section—

• “UK person” has the same meaning as in section 2;

• “UK registered political party” means a political party registered under Part 2 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.