Official Gifts

Mr. Hands
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value is of (a) bequests and (b) other gifts and donations made to the nation in each of the last five years; and how much was given (i) in the form of (A) cash, (B) works of art and (C) property and (ii) in other forms.

Mr. Timms
The information is not available.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does hold information on bequests and gifts where tax relief has been claimed. However HMRC’s data systems do not hold sufficient information to distinguish those which might be regarded as “gifts to the nation”.