‘(1) An activity is a “political influence activity” if—

(a) it is within subsection (2), and

(b) the purpose, or one of the purposes, for which it is carried out is the purpose of influencing a matter or person within subsection (3).

(2) The activities within this subsection are—

(a) making any communication to—

(i) a Minister of the Crown, a Northern Ireland Minister, a Scottish Minister or a Welsh Minister,

(ii) a Member of either House of Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru, or an employee or other member of staff of such a Member,

(iii) an officer, trustee or agent of a UK registered political party or a member of such a party who exercises executive functions on behalf of the party,

(iv) a candidate at an election for a relevant elective office or a relevant Scottish elective office,

(v) a senior official or a special adviser, or

(vi) a person within a description of persons exercising functions on behalf of the Crown which is specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State;

(b) making a public communication, except where it is reasonably clear from the communication that it is made at the direction of the foreign principal;

(c) distributing money, goods or services to UK persons.

(3) The matters and persons within this subsection are—

(a) the conduct of an election or referendum in the United Kingdom,

(b) a decision of the government of the United Kingdom, a Northern Ireland Minister or Northern Ireland Department, the Scottish Ministers or the Welsh Ministers,

(c) the proceedings of either House of Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru,

(d) the proceedings of a UK registered political party, or

(e) a Member of either House of Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) a person makes a public communication if the person—

(a) publishes or disseminates information, a document or other article, or

(b) produces information, a document or other article for publication or dissemination.

(5) In this section—

“Northern Ireland Minister” includes the First Minister and the deputy First Minister;

“relevant elective office” and “relevant Scottish elective office” have the same meanings as in section 37 of the Elections Act 2022;

“senior official” means a member of the Senior Civil Service or a member of the Senior Management Structure of His Majesty’s Diplomatic Service;

“special adviser” means a person who serves the government in a position in the civil service of the State and whose appointment to that position meets the requirements applicable to that position set out in section 15(1) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010;

“UK person” has the same meaning as in section 2;

“UK registered political party” means a political party registered under Part 2 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000;

“Welsh minister” includes the First Minister, the Counsel General to the Welsh Government and a Deputy Welsh Minister.’—

This new clause defines “political influence activity” for the purposes of the new registration scheme.

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.