§ Mr. Ian BruceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the Millennium Gift Aid scheme to all donations towards street children projects in whatever country those children live. [96842]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 1 November 1999]: The Millennium Gift Aid scheme was introduced in 1998 specifically to provide tax relief for donations to UK charities for educational and anti-poverty projects in the world's poorest countries. In April 1999, the scheme was extended to help refugees from Kosovo, but the Government has no plans to extend the scheme further. Some of the street children will be in countries eligible for MGA relief. UK charities working in other countries can benefit from other tax reliefs available for charitable giving, such as the Gift Aid scheme.