With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
Amendment 62, page 12, line 24, leave out subsections (2) to (4).
Amendment 46, page 12, line 28, leave out subsections (3) and (4).
Amendment 131, page 12, leave out lines 31 to line 3 on page 13 and insert—
‘“For election purposes” means activity which can reasonably be regarded as intended for the primary purpose of—
(a) promoting or procuring electoral success at any relevant election for—
(i) one or more particular registered parties;
(ii) one or more registered parties who advocate (or do not advocate) particular policies or who otherwise fall within a particular category of such parties; or
(iii) candidates who hold (or do not hold) particular opinions or who advocate (or do not advocate) particular policies or who otherwise fall within a particular category of candidates; or
(b) otherwise enhancing the standing—
(i) of any such party of parties; or
(ii) of any such candidates,
with the electorate in connections with future relevant elections (whether imminent or otherwise).’.
Amendment 64, page 12, line 31, leave out ‘or in connection with’.
Amendment 168, page 13, line 30, at end insert—
‘() the amendments made by this Part shall not apply to elections to the Scottish Parliament, unless the Scottish Parliament so resolves.’.
Amendment 169, page 13, line 30, at end insert—
‘() the amendments made by this Part shall not apply to charities registered in the Scottish Charity Register maintained under section 3 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 in relation to Scotland.’.
Amendment 132, in schedule 3, page 55, line 23, leave out sub-paragraph (3) and insert—
‘Any manifesto or other document setting out the third party’s view on the policies of one or more registered parties or of any category of registered parties or candidates.’.
Amendment 133, page 55, line 32, at end add—
‘in connection with an election campaign’.
Amendment 134, page 55, leave out lines 40 to line 4 on page 56.
Amendment 162, page 56, line 15, at end insert—
(c) in respect of staffing costs incurred for election purposes, as defined in section 85(3).’.
Amendment 167, page 56, line 15, at end insert—
‘(c) in respect of the remuneration or allowances payable to any member of the staff (whether permanent or otherwise) of the third party.’.
New clause 4—Charity or non-party campaigning
‘Nothing in Part 2 of this Act shall limit the capacity of a charity or non-party campaigning organisation to comment on public policy in so far as it does not seek to influence the outcome of an election in so doing.’.
New clause 6—Expenditure within third party groups
‘(1) Part 6 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (controls relating to third party national election campaigns) is amended as follows.
(2) After section 87 insert—
“87A Expenditure within third party groups
(1) For the purposes of this Part, third parties which have formed part of a group of third parties (“a group”), for the purposes of undertaking activities to influence the outcome of an election, have only a duty to account to the regulator for expenditure that the third party has incurred for election purposes, as defined in section 85(3), and not for expenditure by the group or groups of which they have formed part.
(2) Each group shall designate a person or persons responsible for reporting to the regulator expenditure by the group incurred for election purposes.
(3) A donation by a third party to a group for the purposes of undertaking activities to influence the outcome of an election shall count towards the expenditure limits established in section 94 and Schedule 10.”.’.
New clause 9—Impact of Part 2 on elections and referendums in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
‘Within two months of the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent, the Electoral Commission and the Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of Parliament containing—
(a) an assessment of the separate and specific impacts of Part 2 of this Act on third-party engagement in elections to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly, and to the House of Commons in respect of constituencies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and
(b) an assessment of the impact of Part 2 of the Act on referendums held or to be held in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.’.
New clause 10—Assessment of effect of third party campaigning on UK elections
‘(1) Within 12 months of the passing of this Act, the Secretary of State must set out a report that includes his assessment of the effect that the actions of third party campaigning has had at elections in the UK, which shall include—
(a) an assessment of the impact of third party national election campaigns as regulated by Part IV of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000,
(b) the impact of any other third party campaigns which in his opinion have had an impact on elections,
(c) evidence of public opinion on the benefits and adverse impacts of third party activity at election time, and
(d) an assessment of the existing controls on third party campaigning at elections in the UK, and how these compare to other countries.
(2) In drawing up the report under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must consult—
(a) the Electoral Commission,
(b) the Charities Commission,
(c) the Governments of the devolved nations,
(d) political parties,
(e) such persons or organisations who campaign to affect policies or politics,
(f) such persons who may publish opinions, whether on paper or electronically, that may be intended to influence policies or politics, and
(g) any other person he considers could be affected by controls on third party campaigning.’.
Clause stand part.
Schedule 3 stand part.