From: FOI To:
[email protected] Subject: FOI 014/17 Aspire Application Process Response Date: 23 February 2018 15:00:26 Attachments: 2017-10-11-Aspire-Financial scheme decision record REDACTED.pdf 2018-01-25 - Aspire - Decision record - REDACTED.pdf Dear , Our Ref: FOI 014/18 Thank you for your email to the Electoral Commission dated 26 January 2018. The Commission aims to respond to requests for information promptly and has done so within the statutory timeframe of twenty working days. Your request is in bold below followed by our response. 1. Can you tell me how many public comments were made in regards to the application to register Aspire as a political party? 2. Can you publish the assessment of the application? Can you tell me which officer considered the application or was there a panel? Our response is as follows: We hold the information you have requested. Question 1 42 comments were received by the Commission in regards to the application to register Aspire as a political party. Question 2 We have released to you two documents. The first is the decision record relating to the party’s application. The Commission assesses all applications to register political parties carefully against the requirements set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). A registration application is assessed initially by the Registration Team. The member of the Registration Team that conducts that initial assessment makes a recommendation to either approve or reject that application based on whether or not the application meets the PPERA requirements.