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Session 2010 - 12
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Other Bills before Parliament

Charities Bill [HL]

Charities Bill [HL]
[AS AMENDED BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON CONSOLIDATION BILLS]
[A Table showing the origin of the provisions of this consolidation Bill is published
as a separate document annexed to this Bill. The Table has no official status.]
Contents
Part 1
Meaning of “charity” and “charitable purpose”
Chapter 1
General
Charity
1    Meaning of “charity”
Charitable purpose
2    Meaning of “charitable purpose”
3    Descriptions of purposes
4    The public benefit requirement
Recreational trusts and registered sports clubs
5    Recreational and similar trusts, etc.
6    Registered sports clubs
Supplementary
7    Application of this Chapter in relation to Scotland
8    Application of this Chapter in relation to Northern Ireland
9    Interpretation
Chapter 2
Special provision for this Act
10    Ecclesiastical corporations etc. not charities in certain contexts
11    Charitable purposes
12    Directions as to what is (or is not) a separate charity
HL Bill 80                                                                                               55/1
Charities Bill [HL] ii
Part 2
The Charity Commission and the Official Custodian for Charities
The Commission
13    The Charity Commission
14    The Commission’s objectives
15    The Commission’s general functions
16    The Commission’s general duties
17    Guidance as to operation of public benefit requirement
18    Supply by Commission of copies of documents
19    Fees and other amounts payable to Commission
20    Incidental powers
The official custodian
21    The official custodian for charities
Part 3
Exempt charities and the principal regulator
Exempt charities
22    Meaning of “exempt charity” and Sch.3
23    Power to amend Sch.3 so as to add or remove exempt charities
24    Power to remove defunct institutions from Sch.3
The principal regulator
25    Meaning of “the principal regulator”
26    General duty of principal regulator in relation to exempt charity
27    Power to make amendments in connection with s.26
28    Commission to consult principal regulator
Part 4
Registration and names of charities
The register
29    The register
Charities required to be registered
30    Charities required to be registered: general
31    Restrictions on extending the range of excepted charities etc.
32    Power to alter sums specified in s.30(2)
33    Power to repeal provisions relating to excepted charities
Removal of charities from register
34    Removal of charities from register
Charities Bill [HL] iii
Registration: duties of trustees and claims and objections
35    Duties of trustees in connection with registration
36    Claims and objections to registration
Effect of registration and right to inspect register
37    Effect of registration
38    Right to inspect register
Disclosure of registered charity status
39    Statement required to be made in official publications etc.
40    Power to alter sum specified in s.39(1)
41    Offences
Power to require charity’s name to be changed
42    Power to require name to be changed
43    Duty of charity trustees on receiving direction under s.42
44    Change of name not to affect existing rights and obligations etc.
45    Change of name where charity is a company
Part 5
Information powers
Inquiries instituted by Commission
46    General power to institute inquiries
47    Obtaining evidence etc. for purposes of inquiry
48    Power to obtain search warrant for purposes of inquiry
49    Execution of search warrant
50    Publication of results of inquiries
51    Contributions by local authorities to inquiries into local charities
Power to call for documents and search records
52    Power to call for documents
53    Power to search records
Disclosure of information
54    Disclosure to Commission: general
55    Disclosure to Commission: Revenue and Customs information
56    Disclosure by Commission: general
57    Disclosure by Commission: Revenue and Customs information
58    Disclosure to and by principal regulators of exempt charities
59    Disclosure: supplementary
Supply of false or misleading information to Commission etc.
60    Supply of false or misleading information to Commission etc.
Charities Bill [HL] iv
Part 6
Cy-près powers and assistance and supervision of charities by court and
Commission
Cy-près powers and variation of charters
61    Duty of trustees in relation to application of property cy-près
62    Occasions for applying property cy-près
63    Application cy-près: donor unknown or disclaiming
64    Donors treated as unidentifiable
65    Donors treated as disclaiming
66    Unknown and disclaiming donors: supplementary
67    Cy-près schemes
68    Charities governed by charter, or by or under statute
Powers of Commission to make schemes etc.
69    Commission’s concurrent jurisdiction with High Court for certain purposes
70    Restrictions on Commission’s concurrent jurisdiction
71    Exercise of Commission’s concurrent jurisdiction: notice
72    Power to alter sum specified in s.70(3)
73    Powers to make schemes altering provision made by Acts, etc.
74    Restriction on expenditure on promoting Bills
75    Further powers to alter application of charitable property
Powers of Commission to act for protection of charities etc.
76    Suspension of trustees etc. and appointment of interim managers
77    Offence of contravening certain orders under s.76
78    Interim managers: supplementary
79    Removal of trustee or officer etc. for protective etc. purposes
80    Other powers to remove or appoint charity trustees
81    Removal or appointment of charity trustees etc.: supplementary
82    Removal of trustees etc.: notice
83    Power to suspend or remove trustees etc. from membership of charity
84    Power to direct specified action to be taken
85    Power to direct application of charity property
86    Copy of certain orders, and reasons, to be sent to charity
87    Supervision by Commission of certain Scottish charities
Publicity relating to schemes and orders
88    Publicity relating to schemes
89    Publicity for orders relating to trustees or other individuals
Property vested in official custodian
90    Entrusting charity property to official custodian, and termination of trust
91    Supplementary provisions as to property vested in official custodian
Official custodian and Reverter of Sites Act 1987
92    Divestment of official custodian where 1987 Act due to operate
Charities Bill [HL] v
93    Divestment of official custodian where 1987 Act has operated
94    Vesting of land in relevant charity trustees following divestment
95    Supplementary provisions in connection with 1987 Act
Establishment of common investment or deposit funds
96    Power to make common investment schemes
97    Bodies which may participate in common investment schemes
98    Provisions which may be included in common investment schemes
99    Further provisions relating to common investment schemes and funds
100    Power to make common deposit schemes
101    Bodies which may participate in common deposit schemes
102    Provisions which may be included in common deposit schemes
103    Further provisions relating to common deposit schemes and funds
104    Meaning of “Scottish recognised body” and “Northern Ireland charity”
Power to authorise dealings with charity property, ex gratia payments etc.
105    Power to authorise dealings with charity property etc.
106    Power to authorise ex gratia payments etc.
Power to give directions about dormant bank accounts of charities
107    Power to direct transfer of credits in dormant bank accounts
108    Accounts which cease to be dormant before transfer
109    Dormant bank accounts: supplementary
Additional powers of Commission
110    Power to give advice
111    Power to determine membership of charity
112    Power to order assessment of solicitor’s bill
Legal proceedings relating to charities
113    Petitions for winding up charities under Insolvency Act
114    Proceedings by the Commission
115    Proceedings by other persons
Supplementary
116    Effect of provisions relating to vesting or transfer of property
Part 7
Charity land
Restrictions on dispositions of land in England and Wales
117    Restrictions on dispositions of land: general
118    Meaning of “connected person” in s.117(2)
119    Requirements for dispositions other than certain leases
120    Requirements for leases which are for 7 years or less etc.
121    Additional restrictions where land held for stipulated purposes
Charities Bill [HL] vi
122    Instruments concerning dispositions of land: required statements, etc.
123    Charity land and land registration
Restrictions on mortgages of land in England and Wales
124    Restrictions on mortgages
125    Mortgages: required statements, etc.
126    Mortgages of charity land and land registration
Release of charity rentcharges
127    Release of charity rentcharges
128    Power to alter sum specified in s.127(2)
Interpretation
129    Interpretation
Part 8
Charity accounts, reports and returns
Chapter 1
Individual accounts
130    Accounting records
131    Preservation of accounting records
132    Preparation of statement of accounts
133    Account and statement an option for lower-income charities
134    Preservation of statement of accounts or account and statement
135    Charitable companies
136    Exempt charities
Chapter 2
Group accounts
137    Accounting records
138    Preparation of group accounts
139    Exceptions to requirement to prepare group accounts
140    Preservation of group accounts
141    “Parent charity”, “subsidiary undertaking” and “group”
142    “Group accounts”
143    Exempt charities
Chapter 3
Audit or examination of accounts
Audit or examination of individual accounts
144    Audit of accounts of larger charities
145    Examination of accounts an option for lower-income charities
Charities Bill [HL] vii
146    Commission’s powers to order audit
147    Accounts required to be audited under Companies Act
148    NHS charities: general
149    Audit or examination of English NHS charity accounts
150    Audit or examination of Welsh NHS charity accounts
Audit or examination of group accounts
151    Audit of accounts of larger groups
152    Examination of accounts an option for smaller groups
153    Commission’s powers to order audit of group accounts
Regulations relating to audits and examinations
154    Regulations relating to audits and examinations
155    Power of Commission to direct compliance with certain regulations
Duty of auditors etc. to report matters to Commission
156    Duty of auditors etc. to report matters to Commission
157    Meaning of “connected institution or body” in s.156(2)
158    Application of duty in relation to auditors etc. of group accounts
159    Application of duty in relation to Companies Act auditors
Exempt and excepted charities
160    Exempt charities
161    Excepted charities
Chapter 4
Annual reports and returns and public access to accounts etc.
Annual reports etc.
162    Charity trustees to prepare annual reports
163    Transmission of annual reports to Commission in certain cases
164    Documents to be transmitted with annual report
165    Preservation of annual reports etc.
166    Annual reports and group accounts
167    Exempt charities
168    Excepted charities
Annual returns
169    Annual returns by registered charities
Availability of documents to public
170    Public inspection of annual reports etc. kept by Commission
171    Supply by charity trustees of copy of most recent annual report
172    Supply by charity trustees of copy of most recent accounts

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