Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the review into foreign interference will consider the practice of foreign governments hiring UK-based lobbyists.

It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes.

The purpose of the Rycroft review is to provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards and make recommendations. The terms of reference for the review can be found here: Independent review: countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics: Terms of Reference - GOV.UK.

Given the review’s independence, we cannot pre-empt specifics of the ground it will cover, nor the recommendations it will make. It is right that the review is independent of Government and independent of any political party. However, we will be looking to mitigate the risk of foreign financial interference in UK politics from any actors and individuals who might wish to undermine our democracy.