Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of charities as vehicles for foreign state influence operations.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charity Commission’s recent Charity Sector Risk Assessment noted that hostile foreign states may seek to gain influence in the UK by using charities as a vehicle for promoting their worldview. The Charity Commission is alive to these threats and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
The Charity Commission currently has three statutory inquiries open involving charities with alleged links to Iran: the Islamic Centre of England, Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust and Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust, as well as other non-inquiry casework.
The Charity Commission has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes and earlier this month published updated guidance for charities on the evolving situation in Iran.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish guidance for charities on avoiding foreign state influence or infiltration.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charity Commission’s recent Charity Sector Risk Assessment noted that hostile foreign states may seek to gain influence in the UK by using charities as a vehicle for promoting their worldview. The Charity Commission is alive to these threats and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
The Charity Commission currently has three statutory inquiries open involving charities with alleged links to Iran: the Islamic Centre of England, Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust and Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust, as well as other non-inquiry casework.
The Charity Commission has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes and earlier this month published updated guidance for charities on the evolving situation in Iran.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Charity Commission has sufficient powers to suspend or remove charitable status where organisations are suspected of promoting the interests of hostile foreign governments.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charity Commission’s recent Charity Sector Risk Assessment noted that hostile foreign states may seek to gain influence in the UK by using charities as a vehicle for promoting their worldview. The Charity Commission is alive to these threats and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
The Charity Commission currently has three statutory inquiries open involving charities with alleged links to Iran: the Islamic Centre of England, Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust and Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust, as well as other non-inquiry casework.
The Charity Commission has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes and earlier this month published updated guidance for charities on the evolving situation in Iran.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many charities are currently subject to investigation by the Charity Commission because of alleged links with the Iranian regime.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charity Commission’s recent Charity Sector Risk Assessment noted that hostile foreign states may seek to gain influence in the UK by using charities as a vehicle for promoting their worldview. The Charity Commission is alive to these threats and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
The Charity Commission currently has three statutory inquiries open involving charities with alleged links to Iran: the Islamic Centre of England, Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust and Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust, as well as other non-inquiry casework.
The Charity Commission has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes and earlier this month published updated guidance for charities on the evolving situation in Iran.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review charity law to address risks arising from foreign state influence operations.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charity Commission’s recent Charity Sector Risk Assessment noted that hostile foreign states may seek to gain influence in the UK by using charities as a vehicle for promoting their worldview. The Charity Commission is alive to these threats and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
The Charity Commission currently has three statutory inquiries open involving charities with alleged links to Iran: the Islamic Centre of England, Al-Tawheed Charitable Trust and Islamic Human Rights Commission Trust, as well as other non-inquiry casework.
The Charity Commission has guidance on protecting charities from abuse for extremist purposes and earlier this month published updated guidance for charities on the evolving situation in Iran.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a list of the specific terrorism-related offences that currently trigger an automatic disqualification from serving as a charity trustee or in senior management positions within a charity under the Charities Act 2011; and whether they have plans to align the disqualification criteria for seeking elected public office with these existing standards.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The list of specified offences that trigger automatic disqualification from serving as a charity trustee is available under section 178A of the Charities Act 2011:
Case A: specified offences(1) The following offences are specified for the purposes of Case A—
1. An offence to which Part 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 applies (see sections 41 to 43 of that Act).
2. An offence under section 13 or 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (wearing of uniform etc, and failure to disclose information).
3. A money laundering offence within the meaning of section 415 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
4. An offence under any of the following provisions of the Bribery Act 2010—
section 1 (bribing another person),
section 2 (offences relating to being bribed),
section 6 (bribery of foreign public officials),
section 7 (failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery).
5. An offence under section 77 of this Act.
6. An offence of—
misconduct in public office,
perjury,
perverting the course of justice.
(2) An offence which has been superseded (directly or indirectly) by an offence specified in subsection (1) is also specified for the purposes of Case A.
(3) In relation to an offence specified in subsection (1) or (2), the following offences are also specified for the purposes of Case A—
an offence of attempt, conspiracy or incitement to commit the offence;
an offence of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of the offence;
an offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting) in relation to the offence.
(4)
(4) The Secretary of State may amend this section by regulations to add or remove an offence
In relation to terrorism-related offences, this includes an unspent conviction for an offence to which Part 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 applies; or an offence under section 13 or 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Government has no plans to change the disqualification criteria for standing as a candidate in UK general elections or membership of the House of Commons beyond the criteria currently set out in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and the Representation of the People’s Act 1981.