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Lords motion to consider food supply and security in the United Kingdom in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Agreed to on question.
Lords motion to consider food supply and security in the United Kingdom in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Agreed to on question.
My Lords, there is no legal requirement for businesses to donate the proceeds from the charge to charities; businesses are encouraged to donate. The Government’s proposals are at consultation stage and have always been due to come into effect in 2020. As such, charities have not lost any income from the charge. Our initial impact assessment estimates that small and medium-sized businesses, after deducting reasonable business costs, could generate approximately £59 million for good causes in the first full year.
My Lords, there is no legal requirement for businesses to donate the proceeds from the charge to charities; businesses are encouraged to donate. The Government’s proposals are at consultation stage and have always been due to come into effect in 2020. As such, charities have not lost any income from the charge. Our initial impact assessment estimates that small and medium-sized businesses, after deducting reasonable business costs, could generate approximately £59 million for good causes in the first full year.
My Lords, I have looked into this very thoroughly and I understand concerns about the time is it taking, but we are required under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 to carry out regulatory measures and assess business impacts which are reviewed by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee. I know I am getting into the realms of Sir Humphrey, but it is about the detailed feedback on methodology. Given that this charge will affect every smallholder, market trader and charity shop, we are attending to the comments that have come back from the Regulatory Policy Committee. I would like to make progress, and we will do, but we have to go through the due processes. Also, the SI will be affirmative and that will take some time.
My Lords, I have looked into this very thoroughly and I understand concerns about the time is it taking, but we are required under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 to carry out regulatory measures and assess business impacts which are reviewed by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee. I know I am getting into the realms of Sir Humphrey, but it is about the detailed feedback on methodology. Given that this charge will affect every smallholder, market trader and charity shop, we are attending to the comments that have come back from the Regulatory Policy Committee. I would like to make progress, and we will do, but we have to go through the due processes. Also, the SI will be affirmative and that will take some time.
I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Is it not the case that this charge could have been brought in much more quickly and, as a result, charities would have been beneficiaries of a substantial sum of money? At the same time, is it not the case that by delaying the introduction of this charge until 2020, under the revised figures expected under the revised impact assessment something like 1 billion plastic bags will be used in this country in the next six months which would not otherwise have been used?
The magnitude and quantum of the number of businesses that will be involved in England will, as I think everyone would agree, be much more significant. As I have said, we are working through the requirements as we understand and have been informed about them. The Regulatory Policy Committee has come back to us with detailed comments on the methodology. We have to receive a positive rating feedback from the RPC. We want to do that because we think there are significant benefits from increasing the charge from 5p to 10p and applying it to all retailers.
The magnitude and quantum of the number of businesses that will be involved in England will, as I think everyone would agree, be much more significant. As I have said, we are working through the requirements as we understand and have been informed about them. The Regulatory Policy Committee has come back to us with detailed comments on the methodology. We have to receive a positive rating feedback from the RPC. We want to do that because we think there are significant benefits from increasing the charge from 5p to 10p and applying it to all retailers.
My Lords, the Minister referred to the issue of regulation with regard to the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, but the scope of that Act applies to all devolved nations, yet Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already extended the plastic bag charge to small and medium-sized enterprises. What justification can there be for this? We are waiting only for England to catch up—everybody else has done it. Wales did it
in 2011 and Scotland did it in 2013. It is now 2019. I would have thought that the scope of that Act would have allowed England to catch up by now.
My Lords, from the very outset, this was for businesses, and all businesses—taking away their business costs—were encouraged to donate to good causes. As I say, significant sums have already been given, but we should be mindful, particularly when we go on from larger to smaller business, that this will undoubtedly have to be for businesses. I was very interested to find that the House of Lords last year raised £283.21, and I am pleased to say that we are phasing out our plastic bags. This is the sort of quantum we are talking about. We will be dealing with very small retailers, which is why the noble Baroness hits on something that would be very difficult to enforce.
My Lords, from the very outset, this was for businesses, and all businesses—taking away their business costs—were encouraged to donate to good causes. As I say, significant sums have already been given, but we should be mindful, particularly when we go on from larger to smaller business, that this will undoubtedly have to be for businesses. I was very interested to find that the House of Lords last year raised £283.21, and I am pleased to say that we are phasing out our plastic bags. This is the sort of quantum we are talking about. We will be dealing with very small retailers, which is why the noble Baroness hits on something that would be very difficult to enforce.
My Lords, the Minister said that it is not compulsory for retailers to ensure that the money goes to charities. Last year, 40% of retailers did not say where the money went. Why is it not compulsory for the money to go to charities so that we can be sure that it is going to good causes?
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 17 July (HL Deb, col 232), how much income charities would have received since 17 July had a plastic bag charge on small and medium-sized enterprises been introduced.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 17 July (HL Deb, col 232), how much income charities would have received since 17 July had a plastic bag charge on small and medium-sized enterprises been introduced.
My Lords, there is no legal requirement for businesses to donate the proceeds from the charge to charities; businesses are encouraged to donate. The Government’s proposals are at consultation stage and have always been due to come into effect in 2020. As such, charities have not lost any income from the charge. Our initial impact assessment estimates that small and medium-sized businesses, after deducting reasonable business costs, could generate approximately £59 million for good causes in the first full year.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 3 April (HL7210), how much surplus food is now being redistributed from supermarkets; and what action they are taking to increase the proportion of food redistributed to charities.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 3 April (HL7210), how much surplus food is now being redistributed from supermarkets; and what action they are taking to increase the proportion of food redistributed to charities.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) published its Food Surplus and Waste Quantification report in May this year. This estimates that 5,000 tonnes of surplus food was redistributed by the UK retail sector last year.
WRAP has established a Redistribution Working Group under Courtauld 2025 to share best practice and help identify and overcome barriers to redistributing food. This Working Group met for the first time in July this year. All of the major retailers are carrying out initiatives aimed at increasing store-level redistribution, or looking at how to maximise distribution from distribution centres or make it easier for their suppliers to redistribute surplus food.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage supermarkets to redistribute surplus food to charities rather than disposing of surplus via anaerobic digestion or landfill.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage supermarkets to redistribute surplus food to charities rather than disposing of surplus via anaerobic digestion or landfill.
If surplus food cannot be prevented, the next best option is to ensure that it is redistributed for human consumption. Working through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and our voluntary agreements with the grocery sector, we have taken action to ensure that more surplus food is redistributed to people before being put to any other use. All major retailers now have arrangements in place to redistribute surplus food. Signatories to phase 3 of the Courtauld Commitment have reported a 74% increase in food redistribution between 2012 and the end of 2014, and we expect this to increase further.
Last year, the Secretary of State held a meeting with industry and redistribution organisations to take stock of progress on food redistribution. Outcomes from this include the recent publication of a Redistribution Framework to help facilitate closer working between potential donors and recipients of food surpluses. WRAP has commissioned research to identify where and why waste and surpluses occur in the supply chain to inform further action to increase waste prevention and redistribution.
Following the success of earlier agreements, WRAP launched the Courtauld Commitment 2025 in March this year. This is an ambitious new agreement that takes a whole food supply chain approach, and will build on the progress we have already made to prevent waste, including through the redistribution of surplus food.
There will always be some unavoidable food waste. The Government’s Anaerobic Digestion Strategy is in place to reduce the amount of organic material going to landfill and drive the waste that is produced into energy recovery or recycling.
Lords question for short debate on what action they are taking to reduce food waste.
Lords question for short debate on what action they are taking to reduce food waste.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make it cheaper and easier for food businesses to donate surplus food to charities rather than dispose of it via anaerobic digestion.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make it cheaper and easier for food businesses to donate surplus food to charities rather than dispose of it via anaerobic digestion.
We have taken action to ensure that more surplus food is redistributed to people before being put to any other use through our voluntary agreements with the grocery and hospitality sectors. If surplus food cannot be prevented, the next best option is to ensure it is redistributed for human consumption. Signatories to the Courtauld Commitment, which includes UK retailers and food manufacturers, have reported a 74% increase in food redistribution between 2012 and the end of 2014 and we expect it to increase further.
In January this year the Secretary of State for Defra and the Minister for Civil Society brought together key players from retail, food manufacturing and redistribution organisations to agree new actions to further increase levels of food redistributed. A working group is driving this forward to waste less and redistribute more. The Group is developing a partnership model to provide a consistent framework for providers and recipients of surplus food to reach agreement on working together. Research has also been commissioned from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, which will identify where and why waste and surpluses occur in the food chain to identify what action can be taken to increase waste prevention and redistribution.
There will always be some unavoidable food waste. The Government’s Anaerobic Digestion Strategy is in place to reduce the amount of organic material going to landfill and drive the waste that is produced into energy recovery or recycling.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request the Charity Commission to produce a report showing the numbers of charity trustees who have served for more than (1) 10 years, (2) 20 years, and (3) 30 years.[HL3973]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request the Charity Commission to produce a report showing the numbers of charity trustees who have served for more than (1) 10 years, (2) 20 years, and (3) 30 years.[HL3973]
The information required is not currently collated by the Charity Commission.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to request the Charity Commission to produce a report on those charities which direct and oversee schemes run by trading companies with respect to governance and the salaries paid to directors of trading companies.[HL3972]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to request the Charity Commission to produce a report on those charities which direct and oversee schemes run by trading companies with respect to governance and the salaries paid to directors of trading companies.[HL3972]
There is no intention to request a report on or make an assessment of charities which direct or oversee schemes run by trading companies. Charities are independent organisations and their trustees are legally responsible for all aspects of their management and administration. The Charity Commission’s powers of intervention are reserved for cases of serious misconduct or mismanagement, but it does publish guidance for charities on trading, and on identifying and managing conflicts of interest.
The data requested on the directors of trading companies is not currently collected. Any trading company controlled by a charity would be included in the group accounts of the charity. Group accounts are prepared where the charity’s and its subsidiary’s combined income exceeds £500,000. Disclosure of remuneration is provided in £10,000 bandings over £60,000 for all group employees. The filed accounts and trustees’ annual reports of all registered charities with annual income of over £25,000 are publicly available on the Charity Commission’s website.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the process of registered charities directing and overseeing schemes run by commercial companies, and whether they consider that process to be consistent with good corporate, financial and trusteeship governance.[HL3977]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the process of registered charities directing and overseeing schemes run by commercial companies, and whether they consider that process to be consistent with good corporate, financial and trusteeship governance.[HL3977]
There is no intention to request a report on or make an assessment of charities which direct or oversee schemes run by trading companies. Charities are independent organisations and their trustees are legally responsible for all aspects of their management and administration. The Charity Commission’s powers of intervention are reserved for cases of serious misconduct or mismanagement, but it does publish guidance for charities on trading, and on identifying and managing conflicts of interest.
The data requested on the directors of trading companies is not currently collected. Any trading company controlled by a charity would be included in the group accounts of the charity. Group accounts are prepared where the charity’s and its subsidiary’s combined income exceeds £500,000. Disclosure of remuneration is provided in £10,000 bandings over £60,000 for all group employees. The filed accounts and trustees’ annual reports of all registered charities with annual income of over £25,000 are publicly available on the Charity Commission’s website.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request the Charity Commission to produce a list of the number of directors of trading companies which are directed and overseen by charities who are paid annually more than (1) £250,000, (2) £500,000, and (3) £750,000.[HL3974]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will request the Charity Commission to produce a list of the number of directors of trading companies which are directed and overseen by charities who are paid annually more than (1) £250,000, (2) £500,000, and (3) £750,000.[HL3974]
There is no intention to request a report on or make an assessment of charities which direct or oversee schemes run by trading companies. Charities are independent organisations and their trustees are legally responsible for all aspects of their management and administration. The Charity Commission’s powers of intervention are reserved for cases of serious misconduct or mismanagement, but it does publish guidance for charities on trading, and on identifying and managing conflicts of interest.
The data requested on the directors of trading companies is not currently collected. Any trading company controlled by a charity would be included in the group accounts of the charity. Group accounts are prepared where the charity’s and its subsidiary’s combined income exceeds £500,000. Disclosure of remuneration is provided in £10,000 bandings over £60,000 for all group employees. The filed accounts and trustees’ annual reports of all registered charities with annual income of over £25,000 are publicly available on the Charity Commission’s website.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information is held by the Gambling Commission on the percentage of income given to good causes by lotteries other than the National Lottery; and whether that information is published.[HL614]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information is held by the Gambling Commission on the percentage of income given to good causes by lotteries other than the National Lottery; and whether that information is published.[HL614]
Society lotteries licensed by the Gambling Commission must provide financial details to the commission for each completed lottery draw. The commission publishes an aggregate of these figures, including the percentage of proceeds given to good causes, every six months in its Industry Statistics publication at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.