Just nine out of the 650 MPs in Parliament donate to charity via payroll giving, despite overtures from the government that it will lead by example in promoting the giving mechanism.

The revelation comes a week after HM Treasury launched a consultation into payroll giving, suggesting that opening up the system to commercial providers, as well as increasing transparency and decreasing timeframes, could improve the take-up of payroll giving in the UK, presently made available by just 2 per cent of employers.

But despite the oft-expressed belief by government that there is great potential and wisdom in payroll giving, the numbers of MPs using it remain persistently low.

In September 2011, civilsociety.co.uk revealed that just four MPs at the time gave to charity via payroll giving. This figure, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, has – as of December 2012 – increased by five members, to a total of nine MPs, or 1.4 per cent of Parliamentarians.

Sector response: 'Unacceptable'

The discovery has drawn exasperation from those working in the sector.

Peter O’Hara, managing director of Workplace Giving UK which filed the latest FOI request under the Geared for Giving Campaign, said that the low take-up among MPs is particularly disappointing given that they are higher-rate taxpayers, and therefore the scheme is especially tax-efficient for them.

"It is unacceptable that so few give from their pay," said O’Hara. "We believe that, like many other employers, the government have not communicated the scheme effectively and so we are calling on David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband, George Osborne and all MPs to show the way and not only sign up to the scheme but also to take the message out to constituents."

Responding to the revelation, the Institute of Fundraising reiterated its position that payroll giving requires transformational change if it is to live up to its potential to raise more money for good causes.