Speaker's Committee - First Report
Electoral Commission: compliance with regulations on funding political parties

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Here you can browse the report which was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 2 April 2009.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Speaker's Committee First Report 2009

Appendix: Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General

Electoral Commission: compliance with regulations on funding political parties

Summary

Key findings

On the use of sanctions within the regulatory framework:

On comparisons with other regulators:

Recommendations

Part 1: The current regulatory regime for party finance

The role of the Electoral Commission in the regulation of party finances

Public funding of political parties

The Commission's powers of investigation and enforcement

The Electoral Commission's powers of sanction

Part 2: Securing compliance with regulations on party finance

The principles of good regulation

The Commission's current enforcement powers

The purpose of sanctions within a regulatory system

Good practice in using sanctions

The Commission's use of its sanctions regime

The impact of enforcement on compliance

Flexibility of sanctioning options

Part 3: Comparison with other regulators

Better Regulation Principles

International Comparisons

The Australian Electoral Commission

The US Federal Election Commission

The Canadian Electoral Act

Other Regulators

Financial Services Authority

Lessons from overseas and from UK regulators

Development of performance measures

Annex 1 - The Electoral Commission's Objective Relating to Party and Election Finances

Annex 2 - Hampton and Macrory Reports

Annex 3 - International Comparators

Australia - the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

USA - The Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Canada

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Prepared 2 April 2009