Leprosy Mission says levy on charities 'unfair'

The Leprosy Mission has hit out at suggestions that the Treasury take a share of Gift Aid or impose a levy on charities.

The call came from the Charity Commission, which has warned that it will not be able to cope with the Treasury's request to make a further saving of 10 per cent in the year 2015/16.

The Leprosy Mission said, however, that it was "unfair" to take a slice of gift aid to plug the Government's spending cuts.

Peter Walker, national director of The Leprosy Mission said a levy could put people off giving while penalising recipients of the money.

"If the Government wants a Big Society, it is responsible for providing the framework for the charitable sector to operate effectively, which includes rigorous investigation where necessary," he said.

"The charitable sector is paramount to the delivery of the Big Society and it is, therefore, unreasonable for the government to expect charities to pay to regulate the sector."

News
What a recent doctor's visit taught me about modern Britain
What a recent doctor's visit taught me about modern Britain

Attention is one of the purest forms of love but so many people are going unnoticed, writes J John.

The state of Christianity and the medieval Church in England before the Reformation
The state of Christianity and the medieval Church in England before the Reformation

As with much late-medieval faith, things were complex and there clearly was a hunger for a relationship with Christ, even if sometimes expressed in ways that would be rejected by later Reformers.

Former Sri Lankan intelligence chief arrested over Easter bombings that killed 279
Former Sri Lankan intelligence chief arrested over Easter bombings that killed 279

The 2019 bombings were the worst Islamist terror attack in Sri Lanka's modern history.

Nigeria rejects claims it paid ransom and released Islamists to secure kidnapped children
Nigeria rejects claims it paid ransom and released Islamists to secure kidnapped children

A report by AFP includes claims that Nigeria paid as much as $7 million and released two Boko Haram commanders in exchange for the release of children and staff kidnapped from a Catholic school.