§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what percentage of staff in his Department contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme; how much money is donated to charity per month by staff in38W his Department through the scheme; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater participation in the scheme by staff in his Department. [143910]
§ Hilary BennIn the financial year 2002–03, 64 DFID employees were regular contributors through the Give as You Earn scheme, representing approximately 3.8 per cent. of the Department's Home Civil Service Staff. The total value of contributions was £16,190, equivalent to £1,349 a month.
The scheme is promoted on our departmental intranet with information about how to contribute and regular updates on scheme initiatives. At our invitation, a representative of the Giving Campaign recently made a presentation about the scheme to DFID Directors and other senior managers.
We know that many staff in DFID support good causes in other ways and the information provided above does not represent the full extent of the charitable activity of our employees.