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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable individuals from the potential harms caused by frequent charity advertising.

The Government is clear that it is never acceptable to use undue pressure in order to solicit a donation and that the public should be treated with respect at all times.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online and is independent of the Government. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their Broadcast Advertising Code (BCAP Code) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (CAP Code).

The CAP and BCAP Codes contain specific rules specifying that advertising must not cause serious or widespread harm or offence. In addition, the BCAP Code has a dedicated section on charities, with rules intended to prevent the abuse of people’s charitable impulses. Charities must comply with all relevant sections of the Codes when advertising. A complaint can be made to the ASA if someone believes an advert breaks these rules.

The public can also make a complaint to the charity and to the Fundraising Regulator if they believe a charity has made misleading or excessive requests for donations.