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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the amount of Government funding donated to the British Red Cross Charity in the last ten years.

The Government does not make donations to charities. Such funding, whether for a specific restricted purpose or unrestricted, would be classified as a grant.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales publishes charities’ annual returns from the last five reporting years. This includes a breakdown of funding that includes income from government grants and income from government contracts. The most recently published annual return covers the financial period up to 31 December 2019.

The British Red Cross Society has received £147 million in government grants in total over the past five reporting years. A breakdown by financial period end date is below:

• 31/12/2015 - £32.5 million

• 31/12/2016 - £22.3 million

• 31/12/2017 - £33.7 million

• 31/12/2018 - £22.1 million

• 31/12/2019 - £36.4 million

The British Red Cross Society also receives income from government contracts. Over the five reporting years described above, the British Red Cross Society received a total of £226.3 million income from government contracts.

This information is published on the Charity Commission for England and Wales website here: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/220949/financial-history