§ Mr. Joel Barnettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the staff of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, in view of the need for them to resume a systematic scrutiny of accounts of charities, which was discontinued in 1967; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe Charity Commissioners have informed me that they are not convinced that a regular scrutiny of the accounts of all the charities registered by them—now nearly 79,000—is justified by the results likely to be obtained. Now, however, that the work involved in setting up the commission's regional 279W office in Liverpool has been completed, the commissioners are considering how far the present limited scrutiny of accounts should be broadened, either within the resources of staff already available to them or by the employment of additional staff. Any proposal for an increase in the staff of the commission would need to be considered in the light of the Government's policy for limiting the numbers of civil servants.