Written Question: Disqualifying Charity Trustees for Internet Activity

Lord Moylan: To ask His Majesty's Government how many trustees of charities have been disqualified by the Charity Commission on account of social media posts in each of the last five years.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Cuture, Media and Sport (Lady Twycross): In the last five years, the Charity Commission has disqualified six individuals in cases that relate to the usage of social media. An individual’s use of social media was the sole basis for disqualification in three cases, while in the other three it was one of several grounds.

The Commission’s decisions to disqualify are subject to robust oversight and can be appealed through review by an independent member of Commission staff, and subsequently to the First Tier Tribunal.

The Charity Commission is independent from the Government in its regulatory decision making.