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25 Feb 2008 : Column 1145W—continued
Electoral Commission Committee
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission (a) conducted or (b) commissioned work into incomes and expenditures of below-threshold accounting units for the accounts for 2003. [186153]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it wrote in 2004 to all registered party accounting units to inquire as to whether their total income or gross expenditure was greater than £25,000 for the 2003 financial year; and to ask those whose income or expenditure was under this threshold to confirm this in writing. The purpose of the exercise was to confirm which accounting units should be submitting accounts to the Commission and which should not. No further work was carried out.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 25 January 2008, Official Report, column 2277W, on departmental visits abroad, what the purpose of each foreign visit was, other than those listed as election or referendum observation. [186099]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the purpose of the visits in question was as follows:
Efficiency Savings
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what efficiency savings the Electoral Commission plans to make over the next three years. [186096]
Peter Viggers: The resource budget agreed by the Speaker’s Committee for the Commission covering the four years 2007-08 to 20010-11 is a ‘cash flat’ amount of £23,995,000 (including the £2 million annual Policy Development Grant budget) in each of the four years. The Commission is required to absorb all pay and non-pay inflation over this period and to do so it will have to deliver efficiency savings of on average at least 2 per cent. or £480,000 in each year.
The Electoral Commission informs me that it has already secured recurrent savings of £625,000 in 2007-08 and as the first stage of its efficiency plan for 2008-09 has identified specific savings of £250,000.
Gershon Review
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the effect of the Gershon review on its activities. [186097]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it takes into account the Gershon principles and findings when reviewing its expenditure and efficiency plans, which are discussed with the Speaker’s Committee.
Labour Party: Elections
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance that was sent by the Electoral Commission to participants in the Labour Party deputy leadership campaign in relation to reporting donations given towards their campaign. [186162]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its guidance to participants in the Labour party deputy leadership campaign was contained in the letters sent to candidates on 18 May 2007, copies of which are already in the Library.
Political Parties: Finance
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 15 January
2008, Official Report, column 1084W, on political parties: finance, whether the Electoral Commission plans to commission consultants to assist it in its research on the operation of the political levy and political funds. [186069]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has no plans to commission consultants to assist this research, which is limited to considering the existing legislative framework and background information on how the political levy and political funds currently operate.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008, Official Report, columns 181-2W, on political parties: finance, if he will place in the Library copies of the letters sent by the Electoral Commission to the (a) Labour leadership and deputy leadership candidates in May 2007 and (b) Liberal Democrat leadership candidates in October 2007. [186071]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has done so.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how much expenditure the Electoral Commission incurred in severance and redundancy pay in each year since the Commission was established. [186072]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the cost of severance and redundancy pay incurred in each calendar year since its establishment was as follows:
| Expenditure (£) | Number of individuals | |
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1085W, on political parties: finance, what the timetable is for the Electoral Commission’s planned research into the political levy and political funds. [186100]
Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the research into trade union funding is limited to considering the existing legislative framework and background information on how the political levy and political funds currently operate.
The research will be completed following a meeting between Commission staff and the Certification Officer, expected to take place next month.
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