§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proposals she has for increasing the amount of grant paid to the charity, Childline;
(2) what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding value added tax paid by Childline.
§ Mr. BowisThe overall level of tax reliefs for charities is worth over £1.4 billion a year. The full range of reliefs means that charities are relieved of about one third of their potential VAT bill. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had not discussions with my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer about value added tax. Amounts of funding under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act (1968) for 1995–96 will be made in due course.
In the past eight years, Childline has received start-up, core and project funding from this and other Government Departments and I am pleased to note that this has enabled it to attract other funding such that its total income last year was £3.9 million and that it has been able to build up assets of some £1.4 million.