AQW 2722/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 26/02/2020
Answered On Date: 24/06/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities what is the average time taken for the Charity Commission to register charities, from first application to registration, over the last five years.

Answer:

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland does not hold information in a way which would readily allow a calculation of the average time taken from submission of an Expression of Intent to registration. This is due to a range of factors including the complexity of individual cases and the volume of cases in progress at any point in time. A further complicating factor is the McBride Judgment of 2019, and subsequent Court of Appeal ruling, which have resulted in the Charity Commission operating through a Committee, making emergency decisions. My officials are currently working with the Charity Commission to explore the implications of these Judgments and I have asked them to consider options for any necessary changes to future operations, including the registration process.