Forum Brief: Charities Bill
The government has unveiled plans to overhaul the UK's outdated charity laws in a move which could see organisations such as Amnesty International securing charitable status.
Government Response: Home Office
Fiona Mactaggart, Home Office minister, said: "Charities are a major force for good in society. They can reach out to some of our most marginalised and deprived communities and provide a strong voice for those who need it.
"For many citizens who want to make a difference to their communities, charities can provide the means for them to make a positive contribution and drive forward civil renewal.
"The UK's charity laws, some of which date back 400 years, are in need of urgent modernisation. It is important that charities are properly regulated and that the public has confidence in the system. That's why the Bill establishes that public benefit is the bedrock of charitable status.
"Our proposals will help build trust between people and our diverse range of charities by making their regulation clear and making sure that money given by individuals and the government is properly used and that any abuses are stamped on. By building confidence we can motivate people to
connect with charities and give their time, talents and money in ways that will benefit the whole community.
"Charities will benefit from the changes, which will allow them to focus their efforts on their work in our communities. The Bill will reduce bureaucracy, enable new and existing charities to thrive and support the independence of the voluntary and community sector.
"The government is committed to a diverse, expanding and vibrant voluntary and community sector. We are achieving this by helping charities to realise their full potential to change lives and help transform
communities."
John Stoker, chief charity commissioner, said: "The proposals in the draft Bill provide practical benefits for virtually every charity, and contain a welcome definition of the Commission’s future role and responsibilities.
"It’s a good balanced package of changes which help to clarify what’s charitable while keeping the common law flexibility which allows this diverse sector to develop. From our perspective, this is a win-win result which will keep the charity brand at the heart of our society."
Forum Response: Leonard Cheshire
John Knight, head of policy and campaigns, Leonard Cheshire, said: "Leonard Cheshire welcomes the publication of the Charities Bill, seeing it as a long overdue opportunity to tidy up centuries old legislation.
"It will also give charities a chance to clearly demonstrate the public benefit they bring."
Forum Response: Charities Aid Foundation
Simon Hebditch, executive director (external affairs) at CAF, said: "CAF is glad that the draft Charities' Bill has been published.
"It gives us the opportunity to modernise charity law and regulation to ensure that charities are able to play a full role in our society. It is very welcome that charitable purposes would be updated to include the advancement of human rights amongst other changes.