Charity Giving

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Excerpts

Monday 20th April 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

There are two things to say in relation to smaller charities. Some of the measures put in place last year mean that smaller organisations pay less employer contributions. That was done to support smaller organisations. I am happy to arrange a briefing for the right reverend Prelate on the place-based approach to philanthropy, which is around making sure that you can leverage large amounts of money. It is entirely intended to make sure that smaller organisations, as well as larger ones, can benefit from the huge generosity and opportunities that philanthropy offers.

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

My Lords, as the report makes clear, this is the first reduction in giving for five years. If the British public were still giving at the level they were a decade ago, another £12.5 billion would be available to charities across the country. The Minister is right that the British people are a generous lot. However, does she agree that part of the problem is that they balk at paying the extra tax bills that charities are facing through additional employment costs and national insurance contributions? For the National Trust alone, this costs £10 million per year.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord will be entirely aware of the difficult decisions this Government had to make on winning the election in 2024. My noble friend Lord Livermore is not here, but I think he would probably refer that back to the Benches opposite. If the noble Lord has not read the report—it is a really interesting read—that was not one of the specific things I recall coming up in it. We would prefer to look at it in a much more positive way and to make the case for people giving. We will continue to do that as a government.