Clause 5
Charities Bill [Lords]
5:30 pm
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West, Conservative)
Before the Minister responds, I wish to say that the notes on the clauses do not make clause 5 clear. I was not sure whether to read subsection (3), under which miners’ welfare trusts are omitted, without submitting it as an exception to the change that the clause makes or whether in light of the fact that they will cease to be charities. My guess is that it is the first assumption rather than my second, but no doubt the hon. Gentleman will be able to the help the Committee about that.
Subsection (4) states:
“A registered sports club established for charitable purposes is to be treated as not being so established, and accordingly cannot be a charity.”
If a club had charitable status, should not the clause read “ceases to be a charity”? If so, what will happen to the assets or does that apply only to those charities and clubs that purport to be registered after the Bill becomes an Act?
Let us consider an organisation that is not a club, such as the British Olympic Association. Is that charitable? If so, how do we know whether it is covered under the Bill?