Charity Commission (Hansard, 17 December 1993)

§ Mr. Livingstone
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the reason for the Charity Commission determining that some of the payments made944W by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities to Marketforce Communications were unjustified; how much money was involved; how this money had been spent and by whom; how many of the donors to the Foundation for Business Responsibilities between 1987 and 1990 were interviewed during the Charity Commission's investigation into the Foundation for Business Responsibilities in 1991–92, to find their motivation for giving money to the charity; and what was the involvement of Dame Shirley Porter and Michael Ivens in these payments.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
During the course of the commissioners' investigation, the trustees of the Foundation for Business Responsibilities themselves had decided that there was substance in the suggestion that some of the payments made by the Foundation to Marketforce Communications Ltd. during 1989 and 1990 were not necessarily justified having regard to the services provided by Marketforce to the foundation.
The trustees decided that all payments made by the foundation to Marketforce during 1989 and 1990, totalling £98,897.96, should be recovered regardless of whether or not some of the payments were justified. This was done and the commissioners were satisfied that any possible misapplication of charitable funds had been remedied.
Michael Ivens, then director of the foundation, authorised the payments to Marketforce. The commissioners' inquiry did not reveal any evidence of involvement of Dame Shirley Porter in the payments.
None of the Foundation's donors were interviewed during the commissioners' investigation.

§ Mr. Livingstone
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the conclusion of the Charity Commission's investigation into the relationship between the Aims of Industry organisation and the Foundation for Business Responsibilities; what prompted the investigation; and in what months the investigation was carried out.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
The commissioners' inquiry into payments by the Foundation for Business Responsibilities to Marketforce Communications Ltd. showed that £62,390.09 had been paid by the foundation to Aims of Industry during 1988–91.
There was no evidence to suggest that the payments to Aims of Industry were otherwise than in providing legitimate services to the foundation—namely, management services, accommodation, research and printing works.
The investigation into the payments made to Aims of Industry was carried out between March and September 1992.