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House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06 Internet Publications Other Bills before Parliament

Charities Bill [HL]

Charities Bill [HL]
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by the Home Office, are published separately
as Bill 83—EN.
EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Mr Secretary Clarke has made the following statement under section 19(1)(a) of the
Human Rights Act 1998:
In my view the provisions of the Charities Bill [HL] are compatible with the
Convention rights.
Bill 83                                                                                                  54/1
Charities Bill [HL]
Contents
Part 1
Meaning of "charity" and "charitable purpose"
1    Meaning of “charity”
2    Meaning of “charitable purpose”
3    The “public benefit” test
4    Guidance as to operation of public benefit requirement
5    Special provisions about recreational charities, sports clubs etc.
Part 2
Regulation of charities
Chapter 1
The Charity Commission
Establishment of Charity Commission
6    The Charity Commission
Commission’s objectives, general functions etc.
7    The Commission’s objectives, general functions and duties
Chapter 2
The Charity Tribunal
8    The Charity Tribunal
Bill 83                                                                                                  54/1
Charities Bill [HL] ii
Chapter 3
Registration of charities
General
9    Registration of charities
10    Interim changes in threshold for registration of small charities
Exempt charities: registration and regulation
11    Changes in exempt charities
12    Increased regulation of exempt charities under 1993 Act
13    General duty of principal regulator in relation to exempt charity
14    Commission to consult principal regulator before exercising powers in
relation to exempt charity
Chapter 4
Application of property cy-près
Cy-près occasions
15    Application cy-près by reference to current circumstances
16    Application cy-près of gifts by donors unknown or disclaiming
17    Application cy-près of gifts made in response to certain solicitations
Schemes
18    Cy-près schemes
Chapter 5
Assistance and supervision of charities by court and Commission
Suspension or removal of trustees etc. from membership
19    Power to suspend or remove trustees etc. from membership of charity
Directions by Commission
20    Power to give specific directions for protection of charity
21    Power to direct application of charity property
Publicity relating to schemes
22    Relaxation of publicity requirements relating to schemes etc.
Common investment schemes
23    Participation of Scottish and Northern Irish charities in common investment
schemes etc.
Charities Bill [HL] iii
Advice or other assistance
24    Power to give advice and guidance
25    Power to determine membership of charity
Powers of entry
26    Power to enter premises and seize documents etc.
Mortgages of charity land
27    Restrictions on mortgaging
Chapter 6
Audit or examination of accounts where charity is not a company
28    Annual audit or examination of accounts of charities which are not companies
29    Duty of auditor etc. of charity which is not a company to report matters to
Commission
30    Group accounts
Chapter 7
Charitable companies
31    Relaxation of restriction on altering memorandum etc. of charitable company
32    Annual audit or examination of accounts of charitable companies
33    Duty of auditor etc. of charitable company to report matters to Commission
Chapter 8
Charitable incorporated organisations
34    Charitable incorporated organisations
Chapter 9
Charity trustees etc.
Waiver of disqualification
35    Waiver of trustee’s disqualification
Remuneration of trustees etc.
36    Remuneration of trustees etc. providing services to charity
37    Disqualification of trustee receiving remuneration by virtue of section 36
Liability of trustees etc.
38    Power of Commission to relieve trustees, auditors etc. from liability for
breach of trust or duty
39    Trustees’ indemnity insurance
Charities Bill [HL] iv
Chapter 10
Powers of unincorporated charities
40    Power to transfer all property
41    Power to replace purposes
42    Power to modify powers or procedures
Chapter 11
Powers to spend capital and mergers
Spending of capital
43    Power to spend capital
Mergers
44    Merger of charities
Part 3
Funding for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institutions
Chapter 1
Public charitable collections
Preliminary
45    Regulation of public charitable collections
46    Charitable appeals that are not public charitable collections
47    Other definitions for purposes of this Chapter
Restrictions on conducting collections
48    Restrictions on conducting collections in a public place
49    Restrictions on conducting door to door collections
50    Exemption for local, short-term collections
Public collections certificates
51    Applications for certificates
52    Determination of applications and issue of certificates
53    Grounds for refusing to issue a certificate
54    Power to call for information and documents
55    Transfer of certificate between trustees of unincorporated charity
56    Withdrawal or variation etc. of certificates
57    Appeals against decisions of the Commission
Permits
58    Applications for permits to conduct collections in public places
59    Determination of applications and issue of permits
Charities Bill [HL] v
60    Refusal of permits
61    Withdrawal or variation etc. of permits
62    Appeals against decisions of local authority
Supplementary
63    Regulations
64    Offences
65    Offences by bodies corporate
66    Service of documents
Chapter 2
Fund-raising
67    Statements indicating benefits for charitable institutions and fund-raisers
68    Statements indicating benefits for charitable institutions and collectors
69    Reserve power to control fund-raising by charitable institutions
Chapter 3
Financial assistance
70    Power of Secretary of State to give financial assistance to charitable,
benevolent or philanthropic institutions
71    Power of National Assembly for Wales to give financial assistance to
charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institutions
Part 4
Final provisions
72    Report on operation of this Act
73    Orders and regulations
74    Amendments, repeals, revocations and transitional provisions
75    Pre-consolidation amendments
76    Interpretation
77    Commencement
78    Short title and extent
Schedule 1   —    The Charity Commission
Schedule 2   —    Establishment of the Charity Commission: supplementary
Schedule 3   —    The Charity Tribunal
Schedule 4   —    Appeals and applications to Charity Tribunal
Schedule 5   —    Exempt charities: increased regulation under 1993 Act
Schedule 6   —    Group Accounts
Schedule 7   —    Charitable incorporated organisations
Part 1   —
New Part 8A of and Schedule 5B to 1993 Act
Part 2   —
Other amendments of 1993 Act
Schedule 8   —    Minor and consequential amendments
Schedule 9   —    Repeals and Revocation

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