14. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during a non-election specific period?

(1) The following provisions have effect for the purposes of this Part.

(2) “Donation”, in relation to a registered party, means (subject to section 52)—

(a) any gift to the party of money or other property;

(b) any sponsorship provided in relation to the party (as defined by section 51);

(c) any subscription or other fee paid for affiliation to, or membership of, the party;

(d) any money spent(otherwisethanbyoronbehalfoftheparty)in paying any expenses incurred directly or indirectly by the party;

(e) any money lent to the party other wise than on commercial terms;

(f) the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities for the use or benefit of the party (including the services of any person).    Source: Article 50, Political Parties and Referendums Act, 2000

(1) The treasurer of a registered party shall, in the case of each year, prepare a report under this subsection in respect of each of the following periods—

(a) January to March;

(b) April to June;

(c) July to September;

(d) October to December.

(2) In this section—

“donation report” means a report prepared under subsection (1);

“reporting period”, in relation to such a report, means the period mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of that subsection to which the report relates.

(3) The donation reports for any year shall, in the case of each permissible donor from whom any donation is accepted by the party during that year, comply with the following provisions of this section so far as they require any such donation to be recorded in a donation report; and in those provisions any such donation is referred to, in relation to the donor and that year, as a “relevant donation”.

(4) Where no previous relevant donation or donations has or have been required to be recorded under this subsection, a relevant donation must be recorded—

(a) if it is a donation of more than £5,000, or

(b) if,whenitisaddedtoanyotherrelevantdonationordonations, the aggregate amount of the donations is more than £5,000.

(5) A donation to which subsection (4) applies must—

Quarterly donation reports.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 c. 41

(a) (if within paragraph (a) of that subsection) be recorded in the donation report for the reporting period in which it is accepted, or

(b) (if within paragraph (b) of that subsection) be recorded (as part of the aggregate amount mentioned in that paragraph) in the donation report for the reporting period in which the donation which causes that aggregate amount to be more than £5,000 is accepted.

(6) Where any previous relevant donation or donations has or have been required to be recorded under subsection (4), a relevant donation must be recorded at the point when there has or have been accepted—

(a) since the donation or donations required to be recorded under subsection (4), or

(b) if any relevant donation or donations has or have previously been required to be recorded under this subsection, since the donation or donations last required to be so recorded,

any relevant donation or donations of an amount or aggregate amount which is more than £1,000.

(7) Adonationtowhichsubsection(6)appliesonanyoccasionmust—

(a) ifitistheonlydonationrequiredtoberecordedonthatoccasion, be recorded in the donation report for the reporting period in which it is accepted, or

(b) in any other case be recorded (as part of the aggregate amount mentioned in that subsection) in the donation report for the reporting period in which the donation which causes that aggregate amount to be more than £1,000 is accepted.

(8) For the purposes of subsections (4) to (7) as they apply in relation to any year—

(a) each payment to which section 55(2) applies and which is accepted by the party during that year shall be treated as a relevant donation in relation to that year, and

(b) each payment to which section 55(3) applies and which is received from a particular donor and accepted by the party during that year shall be treated as a relevant donation in relation to the donor and that year;

and the donation reports for the year shall accordingly comply with subsections (4) to (7) so far as they operate, by virtue of paragraph (a) or (b) above, to require any relevant donation falling within that paragraph to be recorded in a donation report.

(9) A donation report must also record every donation falling within section 54(1)(a) or (b) and dealt with during the reporting period in accordance with section 56(2).

(10) If during any reporting period—

(a) no donations have been accepted by the party which, by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section, are required to be recorded in the donation report for that period, and

(b) no donations have been dealt with as mentioned in subsection (9),

the report shall contain a statement to that effect. Source: Article 62, Political Parties and Referendums Act, 2000

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