DCH 221 John C Hale
June 2004
Dear Ms Graham
Evidence on Draft Charities
Bill — Clause 22
I have worked extensively with charities
over the last ten years as a volunteer, trustee and officer. I
welcome the new Draft Charities Bill, which I believe will benefit
charities generally.
I also welcome the proposal to allow
charities to have an independent examination of their accounts
up to income of £500,000 and to require examiners of larger
charities to have a relevant qualification.
However, I am concerned that people
who have been admitted to full membership of the Association of
Charity Independent Examiners, even with a domain of competence
to cover "any charity in
England and Wales up to the limit
for Independent Examination" have not been included in the
list of relevant qualifications.
I am an Associate Member of ACIE and
I am working towards full membership. I fear that unless ACIE
Full Members with the maximum domain competence are included in
the Bill there will be little incentive for people like me to
take the time and effort to study charity accounting in order
to act as Independent Examiners. This could well deprive the voluntary
and Social Enterprise sector of a valuable pool of people from
within the sector who would
be able, with the appropriate training, to be very effective Independent
Examiners.
In order to be admitted to the MACIE
qualification I will have to demonstrate extensive knowledge and
experience of charity accounting, the Charity Commission Statement
of Recommended Practice and the duties of Independent Examiners.
It would be most unfortunate to omit qualified Full Members of
the only professional body specifically concerned with charity
independent examination.
I hope that the Committee will propose
amending Clause 22 accordingly.
Yours sincerely
John C Hale
cc Mr Eric Martlew MP
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