14 May 2026·Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission·Answered
AskedRepresenting the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether there are any types of donations that are declared by hon. Members to the House of Commons Registrar which are not re-published by the Electoral Commission on their website.
ReplyThe Electoral Commission can only publish donations to MPs which are offered in connection with their political activities either as an MP or as a party member, and are over the relevant reporting threshold of £2,230 (including aggregations of donations from the same donor). The Register of Members’ Financial Interests is broader and contains information about any financial interest an MP has, or any benefit they receive, which someone else might reasonably consider to influence what they say or do as an MP.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Pending
AskedWhether (a) special advisers and (b) civil servants are required to record engagement with Labour Together where such engagement is not covered by quarterly reporting transparency requirements.
14 May 2026·Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission·Answered
AskedRepresenting the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance and advice the Electoral Commission has given on whether regulated donees who are political party members but do not hold elected office are required to report political gifts and donations to the Electoral Commission.
ReplyDonations to party members are regulated when made in connection with their political activities within the party. For example, these include campaigning in party leadership elections or candidate selection contests or developing or promoting policies with a view to their adoption by the party. Donations over £500 must be from permissible sources and donations over £2,230 must be reported to the Electoral Commission.The Electoral Commission has published guidance on donations for party members.
14 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Pending
AskedWhether his Department plans to require pension schemes to provide clearer advance notification to members when established policies on discretionary increases are (a) changed and (b) withdrawn.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Pending
AskedWith reference to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 113783 on Cabinet Office: Reviews, whether any staff involved with the Humble Address also undertook due diligence on Lord Mandelson.
14 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Pending
AskedWhether he plans to review the legislative framework governing employer consent requirements in relation to discretionary increases in defined benefit pension schemes.
14 May 2026·Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission·Answered
AskedRepresenting the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission,with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2026 to Question 129179 on Members: Finance, what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the House of Commons on whether an hon. Member (a) accepting an impermissible donation, or (b) not returning a knowingly impermissible donation would be a breach of the House of Commons Code of Conduct within the remit of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, or solely a matter for the Electoral Commission.
ReplyMembers must report impermissible or returned donations directly to the Electoral Commission.There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards which sets out the agreed administrative arrangements between the two bodies. Where the Electoral Commission has reasonable grounds to suspect that an impermissible donation or regulated transaction has been accepted or entered into, and is investigating the matter, it may as part of this work approach the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
14 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Pending
AskedWhat role the Pensions Regulator plays in overseeing decisions where discretionary increases are declined despite scheme affordability; and whether that role will be expanded.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWith reference to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 113783 on Cabinet Office: Reviews, whether the Propriety and Ethics team provided a substantive report on allegations made about the conduct of the former Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.
ReplyOn 15 February 2026, the Prime Minister asked civil servants in the Cabinet Office to establish the facts in this case. Following the conclusion of that process, the Prime Minister referred the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. The Independent Adviser then provided advice to the Prime Minister on 27 February, which has been published.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Pending
AskedWhether any (a) civil servant and (b) Minister (i) has occupied and (ii) is occupying any of the official Ministerial residences in Admiralty House since September 2025.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWith reference to the point of order by the Right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington of 23 February 2026, Official Report, Column 60, on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, what communications the Chief Whip conducted with the hon. Member for Makerfield on the pending Cabinet Office investigation.
ReplyOn 15 February 2026, the Prime Minister asked civil servants in the Cabinet Office to establish the facts in this case. Following the conclusion of that process, the Prime Minister referred the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. The Independent Adviser then provided advice to the Prime Minister on 27 February, which has been published.
14 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Pending
AskedWhat recent estimate he has made of the number of defined benefit pension schemes in surplus where discretionary increases have been proposed by trustees but not implemented due to employer refusal.
14 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Pending
AskedWhat assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguards for members of defined benefit pension schemes where trustees recommend discretionary increases and those increases are actuarially affordable but sponsoring employers withhold consent.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhat information his Department holds on whether the former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister backed up official Government information on his personal phones through the Apple iCloud service.
ReplyThe Department does not hold information about individuals’ use of personal devices.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedIf he will place in the Library a copy of the information and documentation provided by the hon. Member for Makerfield to (a) the Cabinet Office PET team and (b) the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Statements to assist their two inquiries into Labour Together.
ReplyOn 15 February 2026, the Prime Minister asked civil servants in the Cabinet Office to establish the facts in this case. Following the conclusion of that process, the Prime Minister referred the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. The Independent Adviser then provided advice to the Prime Minister on 27 February, which has been published.
14 May 2026·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhether HMRC has provided (a) advice and (b) guidance on whether the payment of non-monetary donations crystallises capital gains tax liability for donors.
ReplyCapital gains tax is charged for a tax year on chargeable gains accruing in the year to a person on the disposal of assets. Donating an asset is classed as being a disposal of it and a gain may accrue at that time. Whether a capital gains tax liability arises depends on various factors, such as whether the donation is made to a spouse or civil partner, or to a charity; and whether losses in the tax year can be set against any chargeable gains. Further information can be found at: www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax/gifts and within HMRC’s Capital Gains Manual at: www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/capital-gains-manual starting at page CG66450.
14 May 2026·Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission·Answered
AskedRepresenting the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2026 to Question 129179 on Members: Finance, what is the policy of the Electoral Commission on passing information to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner if the Electoral Commission has evidence that a political donation to a hon. Member has not been properly declared in line with the requirements of the House of Commons Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules.
ReplyThe Electoral Commission is responsible for identifying and publishing any donations to MPs that are covered by electoral law. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards upholds the Code of Conduct for MPs agreed by the House of Commons and would take action if an MP breaches their reporting requirements. The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards gives the Electoral Commission the information it needs to publish details of donations to MPs and regulated transactions involving MPs.There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards which sets out the agreed administrative arrangements between the two bodies.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Pending
AskedWhether the former Deputy Prime Minister (the Rt Hon Member for Ashton-under-Lyne) will publish a tax return for the period of time that she was Deputy Prime Minister for the 2024-25 tax year.
14 May 2026·Cabinet Office·Pending
AskedWith reference to the point of order by the Right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington of 23 February 2026, Official Report, Column 60, on Labour Together and APCO Worldwide: Cabinet Office Review, what communications the Chief Whip conducted with the hon. Member for Makerfield on the pending Cabinet Office investigation.
13 May 2026·Home Office·Answered
AskedWhat estimate her Department has made of the number of proposed projects involving the use of dogs that are not progressed to licence application stage following review by Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies due to the availability of non-animal alternative methods.
ReplyThe Home Office has not made an estimate of the number of proposed projects involving dogs that do not proceed to licence application stage following review by Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies (AWERBs) due to the availability of non-animal alternative methods.Project licence applicants are, in law, responsible for robustly considering the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) when developing proposals before submission to the establishment AWERB. AWERBs operate within establishments and are a further internal check on advising the establishment licence holder and other duty holders on the application of the principles of the 3Rs before any project licence application is submitted to the Home Office.