HC Deb 04 November 1999 vol 337 cc312-3W
Mr. Alan Campbell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the total amount given to charitable organisations in the last year for which figures are available; and what was the total amount of tax relief for charitable donations in that year. [96864]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Annual estimates for total donations to charities are not available centrally. The Charities Aid Foundation estimates overall income donated by individuals to be around £5 billion to £6 billion per year. In addition to this, charities also benefit from donations by companies and other organisations.

The cost of tax relief on donations to charities under the tax-effective methods of giving, namely Deeds of Covenant, Gift Aid, Millennium Gift Aid and Payroll Giving, in 1998–99 was about £725 million.