Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

4 Parliamentary Parties Panel

(1) There shall be a panel (to be known as “the Parliamentary Parties Panel”) which consists of representatives of qualifying parties appointed in accordance with this section.

(2) The function of the panel shall be to submit representations or information to the Commission about such matters affecting political parties as the panel think fit.

(3) Where the panel submit any such representations or information to the Commission, the Commission shall—

(a) consider the representations or information, and

(b) decide whether, and (if so) to what extent, they should act on the representations or information.

(4) Each qualifying party shall be entitled to be represented on the panel by a person appointed to the panel by the treasurer of the party.

(5) Subject to subsection (6), a person so appointed shall be a member of the panel for such period as the treasurer of the party may determine when making the appointment.

(6) A person so appointed shall cease to be a member of the panel if at any time—

(a) his appointment is terminated for any reason by the treasurer of the party, or

(b) the party ceases to be a qualifying party.

(7) The panel may determine their own procedure.

(8) The validity of any proceedings of the panel shall not be affected by any failure by the treasurer of a qualifying party to make any appointment in accordance with this section.

(9) In this section “qualifying party” means a registered party—

(a) to which two or more Members of the House of Commons for the time being belong, who have made and subscribed to the oath required by the [1866 c. 19.] Parliamentary Oaths Act 1866 (or the corresponding affirmation) and are not disqualified from sitting or voting in the House; or

(b) to which two or more such Members belonged immediately after the most recent parliamentary general election.