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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Taken on Trust The awareness and effectiveness of charity trustees in England and Wales, published on November 2017, what discussions she has had with the Charity Commission on the potential merits of requiring charities with an annual income in excess of £500,000 to report on board diversity in their annual return.

Having a diverse range of skills, backgrounds and experiences helps ensure the good governance of charities, and the Government is committed to ensuring that opportunities such as trusteeship are available to all.

The Charity Commission is engaging with stakeholders to further understand the barriers to trusteeship and taking targeted action to broaden its appeal through its guidance, campaigns and events.

The use of the Annual Return to collect diversity data was explored in a recent consultation. In its response, the Commission noted this was not an appropriate mechanism, and is engaging with partners to explore alternative options.