Select Committee · National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)

Defending Democracy

Status: Open Opened: 24 Feb 2025 20 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report
Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Political finance and foreign influence HC 720 18 Mar 2026 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
2 Recommendation 3rd Report - Political finance and fore… Acknowledged

The governance and accountability arrangements for criminal enforcement of illegal political finance interference are inadequate.

The governance and accountability arrangements for criminal enforcement of illegal political finance interference are inadequate. Responsibilities and capabilities are dispersed across the Electoral Commission, the Metropolitan Police Service, Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, the National Crime Agency, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and regional police forces. There would be operational value … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the vital need for appropriate structures to allow enforcement agencies to operate effectively. It states that the establishment of the new National Police Service provides an opportunity to strengthen capabilities and will consider how different functions could be brought together through …
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Cabinet Office
3 Recommendation 3rd Report - Political finance and fore… Acknowledged

The Government should establish a centralised Political Finance Enforcement Unit.

The Government should establish a centralised Political Finance Enforcement Unit. This should be a joint unit, which could be housed in the National Crime Agency. It should hold the overall national lead and accountability for proactive assessments and criminal investigations into political finance. It should involve secondees from relevant specialisms … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the need for policing to have specialist expertise, coordination, and national capacity for investigating political finance. It will use the establishment of the new National Police Service as an opportunity to strengthen and formalise capabilities, considering how functions could be brought …
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Cabinet Office
4 Recommendation 3rd Report - Political finance and fore… Acknowledged

The Unit should have formalised information sharing agreements with the parent organisations of participating personnel,...

The Unit should have formalised information sharing agreements with the parent organisations of participating personnel, to ensure the parent organisation’s powers may be deployed during the course of investigations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 48) Crypto Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the need for effective structures and resources and will consider strengthening and formalising capabilities, including how functions could be brought together, as part of establishing the new National Police Service.
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Cabinet Office

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
9 Feb 2026 Graeme Biggar CBE · National Crime Agency, Rachael Herbert · National Crime Agency View ↗
12 Jan 2026 Dr Sam Power · University of Bristol, Duncan Hames · Transparency International UK, Natasha Powell · Kraken Digital Asset Exchange, Tom Keatinge · RUSI View ↗
8 Sep 2025 Dr Susan Hawley · Spotlight on Corruption, Ian Taylor · CryptoUK, Jackie Killeen · Electoral Commission, Peter Geoghegan · openDemocracy, Vijay Rangarajan · Electoral Commission View ↗
17 Mar 2025 Dan Jarvis MP · Home Office, Nanyamka Brown · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Shaun Hipgrave · Home Office, The Baroness Jones of Whitchurch · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology View ↗

Who gave evidence

15 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Dan Jarvis MP · Minister for Security Home Office 1
Dr Sam Power University of Bristol 1
Dr Susan Hawley · Executive Director Spotlight on Corruption 1
Duncan Hames · Director of Policy and Programmes Transparency International UK 1
Graeme Biggar CBE · Director General National Crime Agency 1
Ian Taylor · Board Director CryptoUK 1
Jackie Killeen · Director of Electoral Administration and Regulati… Electoral Commission 1
Nanyamka Brown · Deputy Director for Information Threats and Secur… Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 1
Natasha Powell · Chief Compliance Officer UK Kraken Digital Asset Exchange 1
Peter Geoghegan · Investigations Editor openDemocracy 1
Rachael Herbert · Director of the National Economic Crime Centre National Crime Agency 1
Shaun Hipgrave · Director Protect and Prepare, Homeland Security G… Home Office 1
The Baroness Jones of Whitchurch · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Fu… Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 1
Tom Keatinge · Director RUSI 1
Vijay Rangarajan · Chief Executive Electoral Commission 1

Correspondence

11 letters
DateDirectionTitle
23 Jun 2026 The Electoral Commission's response to the Committee's report on political fina…
16 Mar 2026 To cttee Response from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Governm…
16 Mar 2026 From cttee Letter to the Commissioner, Metropolitan Police relating to Political finance, …
24 Feb 2026 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Lo…
9 Feb 2026 To cttee Letter from the Chair to Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive, Electoral Commissio…
21 Oct 2025 Correspondence from Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister relating to the Defend…
17 Jul 2025 Correspondence to Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister relating to the Defendin…
1 May 2025 From cttee Letter to Ofcom on Defending Democracy and the Online Safety Act, dated 28 Marc…
1 May 2025 To cttee Letter from Ofcom on Defending Democracy and the Online Safety Act, dated 23 Ap…
1 May 2025 Correspondence to Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister following oral evidence …
1 May 2025 Correspondence from Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister following oral evidenc…