MSPS have written to Scotland’s charity watchdog to ask what it is doing to assess the impact of sex abuse claims in Scotland.

It comes amid a number of allegations that Oxfam staff hired prostitutes while working overseas – including in disaster-hit areas such as Haiti.

Holyrood’s Communities Committee has asked what steps the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has taken to discover whether similar allegations have emerged in Scotland.

It has also asked “the extent to which OSCR considers that it has sufficient powers and robust procedures to consider and respond to such complaints”, as well as what the body had done to “reassure itself that Scottish charities have robust governance and appropriate reporting mechanisms in place to respond to allegations of misconduct”.

MSPs have also requested information over how the OSCR “ensures that people who wish to complain about the conduct or activities of a Scottish charity can do so easily and where necessary be supported in that process”.

In a letter signed by convener Bob Doris MSP, the committee has asked how potential donors can easily identify charities with robust mechanisms in place, as well as “the extent to which OSCR shares information about misconduct” with other regulators.

It insisted “even a small number of misconduct cases in a few charities can impact on people’s willingness to donate and on the reputation of all Scottish charities”.

Oxfam has faced a barrage of allegations about staff behaviour since claims of sexual abuse first emerged earlier this month. It apologised in a full-page newspaper advert last weekend.

Other charities to face separate allegations include Save the Children and Scots landmine charity The Halo Trust.