§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of staff in his Department contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme; how much money is donated to charity per month by staff in his Department through the scheme; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater participation in the scheme by staff in his Department. [143899]
§ Mr. PearsonCurrent figures show that 4,407 (14.8 per cent.) members of staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and the Northern Ireland Office, contribute to charity through the Give As You Earn scheme, although this is unlikely to fully reflect the charitable activity of employees.
The current monthly amount, in total, paid over through the scheme, via payroll, is £34,814.
Since 2000, a promotion company, "Sharing The Caring", has had the operational responsibility for promoting the Give As You Earn scheme within the 1080W Northern Ireland Civil Service and Northern Ireland Office. Through Sharing The Caring, staff can contribute to any charity they choose, provided it is a registered charity. Sharing The Caring representatives follow an on-going programme of visits to civil service buildings/locations during which they engage with staff to encourage them to sign up to the scheme. Since 2000, 308 such visits have been carried out.