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.

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.