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Written question asked by Wendy Morton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 March 2026. It was answered by Stephanie Peacock (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.


Charities: Radicalism

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what additional powers she plans to grant the Charity Commission to tackle extremist abuse as referenced in the Statement of 9 March 2026; whether these powers will require primary legislation; what safeguards he will introduce to ensure that legitimate charitable and community activities are not inadvertently affected; and what plans he has to consult with the voluntary sector.

Answer

As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers will be extended to tackle extremist abuse of charities. This includes: extending its ability to suspend trustees and close down charities; introducing mandatory trustee ID verification; and digitising charity accounts to improve transparency and accountability. As a first step we will shortly consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting violence or hatred. These changes can be implemented through secondary legislation. DCMS will engage the sector on any further changes which may require primary legislation.

The Government intends for the Charity Commission’s powers to be used proportionately to protect charities. In rare cases that charitable status is abused for extremist purposes the Charity Commission must be able to act swiftly and decisively to safeguard charitable funds and to protect public trust and confidence in charities.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
121321
Session
2024-26
Related items
Protecting What Matters
Monday, 9 March 2026
Written statements
House of Commons
Charities: Radicalism
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Charities: Radicalism
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Charities Regulation Radicalism
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk