Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Charity Commission on the (a) conflicts of interest and (b) reputational risks of the non-charitable arms of charities engaging in party political campaigning.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest. Charities are permitted to establish or maintain close connections with non-charitable campaigning organisations to support their charitable purposes, provided this is in the charity’s best interests.
The Charity Commission has published guidance for charities with a connection to a non-charity to help charity trustees carefully manage any risks related to conflicts of interest and protect the charity's reputation. Trustees have a legal duty to protect the charity’s assets, reputation, and beneficiaries. Any link with a non-charity should not compromise the charity’s independence or public image. Trustees must also be mindful of the potential risks to the charity’s reputation, particularly regarding political partisanship.
If concerns arise that a charity may be acting in a politically partisan manner or outside its charitable objectives, the Charity Commission can investigate and take regulatory action as necessary.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has provided funding to Hope Not Hate since the general election.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for the Culture, Media and Sport has not provided any funding to Hope Not Hate since the general election.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8925 on Charities: Political Activities, whether the Charity Commission plans to investigate political campaigning by HOPE not Hate (a) Limited and (b) Charitable Trust.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Charities can undertake campaigning, awareness-raising and non-party political activities that support them in delivering their charitable purpose. Charities are not permitted to undertake any party-political activity.
HOPE not Hate Limited is not a charity; it is therefore not subject to the restrictions on political activity that apply to charities and does not come under the Charity Commission’s jurisdiction.
HOPE not Hate Charitable Trust is a charity and therefore does come under the Charity Commission’s jurisdiction and cannot engage in partisan political activity. The Charity Commission does not have an open regulatory case on HOPE Not Hate Charitable Trust.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has held discussions with the Charity Commission on the adequacy of its guidance entitled Campaigning and political activity guidance for charities, published on 7 November 2022.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Charity law sets limits on what campaigning and non-party political activities charities can undertake. This is reflected in the guidance for charities on campaigning and political activity, published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (“the Commission”).
On 14 August 2024 the Commission published a report summarising casework on campaigning and political activity in the run up to the 2024 General Election. It found a rise in proactive efforts by charities to seek advice and guidance from the Commission and a 60% decline in high-risk cases compared to the 2019 election.
Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest.