DCH 291 Association of Charity Shops
FURTHER SUBMISSION TO THE JOINT
COMMITTEE CONSIDERING THE DRAFT CHARITIES BILL
The Association of Charity shops has
noted the Institute of Licensing's submission to the Committee
highlighting the problems of 'bogus' collections of goods from
householders and wishes to reiterate our concerns about this issue.
The Association has spent years highlighting the need for something
to be done to address the problems of 'bogus' collections of
goods and raised this as a major concern in our responses to the
Strategy Unit in 2002 and the Home Office in 2003 as well as in
our first submission to this Committee. These collections deceive
the public and reduce the level and quality of donations in collections
undertaken by genuine charities in support of their shops. We
have regularly brought these activities to the attention of the
Charity Commission and the Home Office over the past 5 years or
more. This remains an area that is not adequately regulated.
We are in full support of the Institute
of Licensing in their call for arrangements under the new Charities
Bill to tackle this problem area. However, there is a danger
that their solution will lead to a tough, costly and unworkable
regulatory framework for collections by charity shops.
Everyone accepts that genuine charity
shop collections pose few issues of capacity and raise no questions
of public confidence, nuisance or fraud. There is evidence showing
that giving to charity shops is the most popular way of supporting
charity. The Association has therefore consistently argued for
a 'light touch' regulatory framework for the collection for goods
by charities for their shops. As a result the draft Bill proposes
to substitute applications for licenses for the collection of
goods with a simple notification arrangement (albeit the notification
requirement as currently drafted is unworkable as highlighted
in our earlier submission to the Committee).
In its response to the Strategy Unit
consultation in 2002, the Association called for measures to be
put in place to require all commercial organizations (and non
registered charities/voluntary organisations) to be actively licensed
if they wish to collect goods house-to-house whilst the regular,
well-supported and relatively low risk collections for charity
shops should be subject to a simple notification system that will
enable local authorities to know which of these collections are
taking place in their areas.
The Association therefore suggests that
the Bill be suitably amended to allow for a simple annual notification
system for collections of goods by registered charities with an
active individual licensing procedure for collections by other
organizations. Such a system would allow local authorities to
focus their efforts and time on dealing with bogus collections.
Past experience in England has seen charities struggle to gain
the interest of the police and local authorities in taking any
action against illicit collections. These are often organized
by commercial companies who are purporting to be 'doing good'.
This lack of action remains a problem even where there is evidence
that they are flouting the law.
We are pleased that the issue of cracking
down on bogus collections is now being taken more seriously. However
whatever measures are introduced to properly control such fraudulent
activity should not be at the expense of collections undertaken
by genuine charities for their shops.
(Ms) Lekha Klouda
Executive Secretary
14th July 2004
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