Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 6 September (HL9930), what powers they have to intervene in the work of the Charity Commission where a case is made that it is not acting in the public interest; and if they have no such powers, where accountability for the Commission sits.

The Charity Commission is an independent registrar and regulator. Section 13(4) of the Charities Act 2011 makes clear that, in the exercise of its functions, the Charity Commission is not subject to the direction or control of any Minister of the Crown or of another government department.

The Charity Commission is accountable in several ways. Decisions made by the Charity Commission in exercising its functions are subject to appeal or review either by the First-tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal, or by way of judicial review in the High Court. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ministers answer for the Charity Commission in Parliament, and the regulator can be called to give evidence to Committees in both Houses of Parliament. The Charity Commission is also required to present its annual report and audited accounts to Parliament, providing key information about its activities and performance.

Further details on the Charity Commission’s governance and accountability is available in the Charity Commission Framework Document 2023, published on GOV.UK.