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25 Jan 2008 : Column 2276W—continued
Departmental Travel
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission spent on travel (a) within and (b) outside the UK for officials in each year since it was established; and what percentage of the Commission’s overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year. [181539]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it only holds information on travel expenditure dating back to the financial year 2003-04. This information is set out in the following table.
| April to December 2007 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | |
These figures include travel costs for both staff and Commissioners.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how many overseas visits were made by staff of the Electoral Commission in each year since it was established; which countries were visited; and what the cost of the visits was in each year. [181459]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the costs associated with international visits by staff are only available from 2003 onwards. No visits have taken place in 2008. The information requested is set out in the following table.
| Number of Visits( 1) | Country visited | Cost (£) | |
| (1) Some countries were visited more than once in any given year. | |||
Political Parties: Donations
Ian Lucas: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission (1) how many donations by registered political parties to regulated donees were recorded by the Electoral Commission in each year since 2000; [181777]
(2) how many individual donations to regulated donees by registered political parties were registered by individual regulated donees in each year since 2000. [181778]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it records donations to regulated donees in its register, available on its website. The register indicates that the number of donations reported by regulated donees from political parties were as follows each year since reporting began in 2001:
| Cash donations | Non-cash donations | Overseas visits provided | |
Ian Lucas: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission takes when a regulated donee does not register a donation made to him or her by a registered political party at the request of a donor. [181779]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that when it has reason to suspect that a donation to a regulated donee may not have been correctly reported under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Commission may make enquiries to establish whether statutory reporting obligations have been met. If the enquiries suggest a breach of the requirements, the Commission may decide to refer the matter to the police and/or to the relevant prosecuting authority, as appropriate. The Commission may also issue further advice and guidance.
Ian Lucas: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how the Electoral Commission monitors compliance with the requirement by registered political parties to advise regulated donees to register donations passed to them at the request of donors. [181780]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that there is no requirement that a political party advise regulated donees to report donations.
However, the Commission works closely with regulated organisations and individuals to ensure that they are aware of the rules. The Commission publishes guidance, runs training sessions and responds to requests for advice.
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