In response to a series of written questions by Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Barker on the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme, Lord Young of Cookham, responded  on behalf of the Government highlighting the strong and constructive links with the sector, support for smaller charities and information on take-up. He was unable to provide details about the cost of administering GASDS and instances of malpractice as they are included in the figures for the wider Gift Aid scheme, and cannot be separately extracted. The full response can be read here.

Parliamentary question on SITR

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jane Ellison MP, has responded to a question by Kirsty Blackman MP (SNP) on the Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR). The Minister confirmed that the Government had announced the enlargement of SITR at Autumn Statement 2016 and that by 2021-22, SITR is forecast to cost £65m per year. She also confirmed that the Government will review the design and operation of SITR within two years of its enlargement to ensure that it is being used as intended, that it supports social enterprises which would otherwise struggle to access finance, and that it delivers value for money. The full response can be read here.