3rd Report - Political finance and foreign influence

Select Committee
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) HC 720 18 March 2026
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 23 items (20 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 23 of 23 classified)
Accepted 13
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 2
Rejected 1
Government response
2nd Special Report - Political finance and foreign influence: Government and Electoral Commission responses · published 15 Jul 2026
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
Clear

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results
13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The alternative version of Section 54A should reduce the declaration threshold of funds received in...
Recommendation
The alternative version of Section 54A should reduce the declaration threshold of funds received in connection with a donation to £500. This would limit the risk of foreign money being channelled through permissible donors. (Recommendation, Paragraph 93) Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the objective and will amend Section 54A PPERA's threshold to align with a new declaration requirement for donations above a set amount, but does not commit to the specific £500 threshold.
Cabinet Office
View Details
20 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government should create a power for the Electoral Commission to compel financial institutions to...
Recommendation
The Government should create a power for the Electoral Commission to compel financial institutions to provide information relating to the source funds used in regulated political donations and regulated campaign spending. This power should also apply to crypto currency platforms. … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government will extend the Electoral Commission's powers to require information disclosure outside formal investigations and enable information sharing with public authorities, but proposals for tools like Unexplained Wealth Orders require careful consideration and further engagement.
Cabinet Office
View Details
21 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Electoral Commission and law enforcement should have powers to receive relevant information from HM...
Recommendation
The Electoral Commission and law enforcement should have powers to receive relevant information from HM Revenue and Customs in connection with an investigation into suspicions of foreign money. We further recommend exploring options to make better use of existing powers, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government will amend the Representation of the People Bill to enable the Electoral Commission to share and receive information from relevant public authorities, including HMRC, to support effective enforcement. However, proposals for Unexplained Wealth Orders require further detailed consideration with stakeholders.
Cabinet Office
View Details
22 Recommendation Accepted in Part
The Government’s legislative changes will only be meaningful if the Electoral Commission, police and National...
Recommendation
The Government’s legislative changes will only be meaningful if the Electoral Commission, police and National Crime Agency are adequately resourced to enforce the rules. (Conclusion, Paragraph 123)
Government Response Summary
The government recognises the importance of adequately resourcing enforcement agencies but rejects the proposed mechanism of formalised annual resourcing updates to the Committee. It states that resourcing questions will be addressed as part of broader, system-wide reviews during the establishment of the new National Police Service.
Cabinet Office
View Details