To ask the Leader of the House when he expects to publish the Government’s response to the Electoral Commission’s report of December 2004 on the funding of political parties. (76559)

The Prime Minister announced on 16 March that there was to be an independent review of the funding of political parties. Sir Hayden Phillips is currently undertaking this review. It would neither be appropriate nor courteous to publish a response to the Commission’s report prior to Sir Hayden Phillips reporting.