CHARITIES BILL

KEY BENEFITS

• Bill promotes a dynamic and vibrant voluntary sector that continues to enjoy the high levels of public confidence on which it depends
• The Bill will modernise the definition of charity, and confirms that public benefit is the foundation of charity
• All charities will have to show public benefit, which will be based on existing case law
• Modernises the constitution, governance and powers of the Charity Commission and makes it easier for charities to challenge the Commission's decisions
• Includes a package of legal measures to modernise charities, including a new legal form for charities to avoid current burdens of dual regulation under both charity and company law
• Modernises the system for regulating collections in the street and other public places

TERRITORIAL EXTENT

• The Bill extends to England and Wales.
• Charities and Trustee Investments (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 15 November 2004.

PROGRESS IN PARLIAMENT

This Bill was introduced to Parliament on 20/12/04. You can download a copy of the Bill text here. Information about the Bill's progress in parliament can be found here and you can search the official report (Hansard) for the text of debates on the Bill at Second Reading or Committee stage here. 

BACKGROUND:

Bill included in the Queen's Speech.

COMMENTS

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

charitiesbill@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk