Fourth Report - Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission
- HC No.
- HC 672
- Published
- 1 Dec 2022
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 20 June 2023 (deadline 1 February 2023). Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission
Closed
Opened 30 Aug 2022
Closed 5 Mar 2024
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Draft Strategy and Policy Statement sets out the Government’s strategic and policy priorities for elections and referendums. It also sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Electoral Commission – the independent body that oversees elections – in meeting those priorities. The Draft Statement, made by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is a new procedure introduced by the Elections Act 2022. As a statutory consultee, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee will hold a short inquiry into the Draft Statement and publish recommendations for the Government in Autumn.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 30 August 2022.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently Fourth Report - Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission on 1 December 2022.
The government's response
Published 20 June 2023. The deadline was 1 February 2023.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says the draft Statement is compatible with the Commission's operational independence, while it has amended the draft in response to consultee feedback.
- It has removed references to "core priority functions" and emphasised that the Commissioners and executive leadership remain responsible for the Commission's priority setting and allocation of resources.
- It agreed that "neutrally" could cause confusion and removed the word, and replaced the reference to acting for all parts of the UK "equally" with wording on how electoral law and practice differ across the UK.
- It maintains that giving guidance on how the Commission exercises its functions is appropriate, "particularly in areas where primary legislation is not explicit", though it has amended the guidance to clarify the Commission's responsibility for how it exercises its functions.
- It commits to making parliamentary time available for a debate in each House, but does not agree to apply the same consultation timeframe to future Statements, considering minimum timeframes "overly rigid and inflexible".
Reports
All reportsEvidence
- 2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 19 October 2022
- 8 witnesses
Recent activity
- Letter from the Chair to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Committee dated 26 June 2023 concerning the draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Commission28 June 2023, Correspondence
- Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission: Government Response to the Select Committee Report20 June 2023, Report published
- Fourth Report - Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission1 December 2022, Report published
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2022 |
Oral evidence
Becca Crosier · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities,
Craig Westwood · Electoral Commission,
John Pullinger CB · Electoral Commission,
Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities,
Shaun McNally · Electoral Commission
|
View ↗ |
| 12 Oct 2022 |
Oral evidence
Dr Sam Power · School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex,
Peter Stanyon · Association of Electoral Administrators,
Professor Justin Fisher · Brunel University London
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Becca Crosier · Deputy Director, Elections | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | 1 |
| Craig Westwood · Director of Communications | Electoral Commission | 1 |
| Dr Sam Power · Senior Lecturer in Corruption Analysis | School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex | 1 |
| John Pullinger CB · Chair | Electoral Commission | 1 |
| Peter Stanyon · Chief Executive | Association of Electoral Administrators | 1 |
| Professor Justin Fisher · Professor of Political Science and Director of Brunel Public Policy | Brunel University London | 1 |
| Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Housing and Communities) | Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities | 1 |
| Shaun McNally · Chief Executive | Electoral Commission | 1 |
Correspondence
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