Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with cabinet colleagues concerning the alignment of Northern Ireland's political donations law with that of the rest of the United Kingdom.

The statutory framework for donations to political parties applies across the UK. This framework explicitly provides for Northern Ireland parties to receive donations from eligible people and organisations that are based in Ireland. Donations from Irish sources are subject to the same scrutiny by the Electoral Commission as donations from any other permissible donor.

The Government has set out its intention to introduce tougher rules on donations to political parties across the UK in the Representation of the People Bill. Changes to the political donations framework will apply in Northern Ireland.