Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made by the Government-NGO Working Group in findings ways to mitigate the direct and indirect effect of counter-terrorism legislation on humanitarian, peace-building and development non-governmental organisations.

The Government continues to engage closely with UK based charities from the humanitarian, peace-building and development sectors on a range of issues relating to compliance with Counter Terrorism legislation. Comprehensive guidance for the sector on the range of legislative frameworks covering the activities of NGOs overseas was provided by the Government in November 2015 and is reviewed as required.

In addition, the Government recently appointed an independent expert adviser to work alongside officials, regulators, the banking sector and charities to progress new thinking on ways that this community can implement robust compliance and due diligence processes that are in accord with Counter Terrorism legislation. This engagement is ongoing.