Part 3: The Electoral Commission Strategy and policy statement Section 17: Examination of duty to have regard to strategy and policy statement
Section 17(1) inserts new section 13ZA into PPERA. This new section expands the role of the Speaker’s Committee to include a power to examine the performance by the Commission of their duty to have regard to the Statement.
	To support this work, section 13ZA(2) gives the Speaker’s Committee powers to request relevant information from the Commission. Under section 13ZA(3), the Commission are required to provide this information as soon as reasonably practicable and in such form as the Committee may reasonably require. The Speaker’s Committee could, for example, request the information in the form of oral evidence.
	Under section 13ZA(4) to (7), the Commission are not required to disclose to the Speaker’s Committee information that, in the Commission’s opinion, might adversely affect any current investigation or proceedings or where disclosure would contravene data protection legislation.
	Section 17(2) inserts new paragraph 4 into Schedule 2 to PPERA, and makes provision preventing evidence given by a witness (written or oral) to the Speaker’s Committee from being used against the witness in civil, disciplinary or criminal proceedings, unless the evidence was given in bad faith. This paragraph also provides that publication by the Speaker’s Committee of any witness evidence is absolutely privileged in relation to defamation claims. This includes evidence from the Commission and any other person providing evidence to the Speaker’s Committee.