To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission has provided on reporting aggregated trade union affiliation fees paid to a political party as a donation where each individual affiliation fee is below the £200 reporting threshold. (171388)

The Electoral Commission informs that it publishes “Donations and loans; guidance for political parties in Great Britain” which includes the reporting requirements on aggregated donations. The guidance is available on the Commission’s website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what research the Electoral Commission has undertaken into trade union funding of the (a) Labour, (b) Conservative and Unionist and (c) Liberal Democrat Party. (171389)

The Electoral Commission informs me that it published a report in 2004 entitled “The Funding of Political Parties”, which included information on funding provided by trade unions. Copies of this report are available in the House of Commons Library. The Commission publishes on its website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk, details of donations and loans to all political parties, including those reported from trade unions.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the amount donated by trade union organisations to political parties, in (a) cash and (b) non-cash donations in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006. (171455)

The Electoral Commission informs me that the information requested is as set out in the following table.