Question
In a statement issued by the Department last month, we were told that this money, which has been spent on partisan political campaigning, can be recovered if it has been used improperly—but that is not the same as doing it. Will the Secretary of State confirm that she will investigate and recoup every penny of taxpayer money funnelled to those partisan groups, either directly or by instructing councils?
Answer
Yes.
Verdict: AMBER (58/100)
The reply clearly and directly commits to investigating how community recovery fund money was used when it was passed to partisan groups. It is much weaker on whether the money will be recovered: the only response is a bare 'Yes', with no clear commitment to recovering every penny, no mechanism, and no timescale. The asker would probably need to follow up to get the specifics on recovery.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Secretary of State confirm that she will investigate the use of community recovery fund money that was passed to partisan groups. | Addressed | Direct | The reply's unqualified 'Yes.' is a clear, unambiguous commitment to investigate the use of community recovery fund money passed to partisan groups, which is exactly what the item asks. |
| Will the Secretary of State confirm that she will recover every penny of taxpayer money passed to those partisan groups, either directly or by instructing councils to do so. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The only statement is a bare 'Yes.', which most naturally answers the first confirmation request; it is not clearly attached to a commitment to recover every penny, and it names no recovery mechanism (direct or via councils), so the item is at best weakly answered. |