CHARITIES BILL

• Modernise the definition of charity and confirm that public benefit is the foundation of charity.
• Modernise the constitution, governance and powers of the Charity Commission (the regulator) 
• Create a new tribunal for appeals against Charity Commission decisions, to make it easier for charities to challenge.
• Create a new corporate legal form for charities (the Charitable Incorporated Organisation) to avoid the problems of dual regulation under both charity and company law.
• Improve the accountability and compliance with charity law of groups of charities which for historic reasons have not been properly regulated.
• Modernise the system for regulating charity collections in the street and other public places.
• Give the Home Secretary power to regulate all charity fundraising.
• Facilitate mergers between charities and the administration of individual charities.
• Raise the registration threshold for small charities.

TERRITORIAL EXTENT

The Bill extends to England and Wales

COMMENTS
 
If you have any comments on the proposals you can email them to:

charitiesbill@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The draft Charities Bill was published in May 2004. A Joint Committee of both Houses undertook pre-legislative scrutiny from May until September. The Government's response to the recommendations made by the Joint Committee was published in December 2004 and the Bill was introduced to the House of Lords that month. From January to March 2005 the Bill went through Second Reading and had over thirty hours' debate in Grand Committee in the House of Lords. When the General Election was called in April 2005 the Bill fell.