Charity Commission

Sam Carling Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ashley Dalton]

I thank the hon. Member for her contribution. This is an ongoing issue, and she will be aware that the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigations of the Charity Commission more widely has raised similar concerns. It also questions whether the commission shows sufficient boldness in exercising its existing powers, and whether it has the powers it needs to regulate the charitable sector effectively.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for referencing my Select Committee’s recent report. Will she join our Committee in calling on the Government or the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to hold a thorough consultation on the commission’s powers, both to identify whether it needs further powers and whether it is making the best use of the powers it already has, and particularly whether the legal advice it is getting is too risk averse?

[Ashley Dalton]

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention, and join him in that call.

I would welcome an update from the Minister on the Committee’s report and on the Government’s plans to take forward its recommendations, particularly its proposal for a wider consultation on the powers of the Charity Commission. Is the Minister satisfied that the commission’s existing powers and resources are adequate to enable it to intervene at an earlier stage where there are persistent governance concerns and potential risks to charitable assets? Are there opportunities to strengthen the regulatory framework so that the commission can take effective action without unnecessary delay? Ultimately, this is about ensuring that the Charity Commission has the resources, powers and support it needs to fulfil its responsibilities, protect charitable assets and maintain public confidence in the charitable sector.

--- Later in debate ---

[Vicky Foxcroft]

I agree. The Secretary of State and I discussed the possibility of presenting this as a test case to establish why it is taking so long to be resolved, and we will explore that further.

In the 2025 spending review, in recognition of all of the challenges faced by the Charity Commission, we gave it a 25% uplift in funding, which is backing a three-year transformation programme to manage rising demands on its services. I know that it has been criticised recently by both the Committee of Privileges and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for its approach to reports by the Public Service Ombudsman, which made findings of maladministration in two cases. The commission has apologised unreservedly to Parliament in response to the Committee of Privileges report, and has accepted the report in full. I have confidence in the commission’s leadership, and I know that the board is taking action to address the concerns raised by the reports and to learn lessons for its handling of similar cases.

The Government keep the Charity Commission’s powers under regular review, and are committed to strengthening them where needed. On 14 October, the Government published a consultation proposing expanded charity trustee disqualification powers, which will help to protect charities from extremist abuse.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

The Government are rightly consulting on those additional powers for the commission—which I welcome—to disqualify people from being trustees or senior managers if they engage in conduct that promotes hatred of people on grounds of race, religion or belief, but does the Minister agree that we should not limit the powers to those three grounds? We often see discrimination in the form of misogyny or homophobia, and discrimination against disabled people. Would the Minister consider extending her proposals to cover those as well?

[Vicky Foxcroft]

We will indeed be happy to engage with my hon. Friend and look into his proposals. We will also consider carefully PACAC’s call for a broad review of the Charity Commission’s powers to ensure robust regulatory oversight, and will continue to engage closely with the commission on that.

Let me again thank my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire for securing the debate, and genuinely thank all the Members who have contributed to it. I think that it has been enhanced by all those contributions.

Question put and agreed to.