To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit small companies from making donations to political parties. (284205)

I have been asked to reply.

The Government have no current plans to do so.

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, and the Political Parties and Elections Bill which is before Parliament, require certain conditions to be satisfied in order for donors to be deemed permissible. Under the 2000 Act, for a company to be a permissible donor, it must be registered under the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, incorporated within the United Kingdom or another member state in the European Union, and must carry on business in the United Kingdom. The Political Parties and Elections Bill contains measures to strengthen the controls on political donations—including those from companies—by requiring all donations over £7,500 to be accompanied by a declaration as to the identity of the true donor.