To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks they carried out on Atlantic Philanthropies before that organisation was allowed to provide funding to public bodies. [HL5988]

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's initial proposal requesting permission to access external funding from Atlantic Philanthropies included its assessment that the organisation was a credible funding body.

To inform the Secretary of State's decision on this matter, further research was carried out to establish background information on the organisation, including its purpose and aims, criteria for funding, corporate governance arrangements and financial information. Information on existing funding relationships was also considered and it was noted that the organisation has funded a wide range of bodies in the public, private and voluntary sector on a non-sectarian basis. That information is all publicly available and supports the initial assessment of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.