Clause 15
Charities Bill [Lords]
12:15 pm
Edward Miliband (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Cabinet Office; Doncaster North, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman threw in a googly at the end, but I shall try to deal with it nevertheless.
I shall start with the worthy amendments tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman). I have dealt with amendment No. 134, which deals with work that has been completed, and hope that I have reassured her about the 1993 Act. Briefly, I am sympathetic to her de minimis desires, which are expressed in amendments Nos. 135 and 136. The most acute of her very acute points was about charities that had built up lots of small sums from appeals spread over hundreds of years, which would have to go through the process of cy-près with the Charity Commission, issue new purposes and so on to get those amounts of money dealt with. I undertake to consider whether there is a case for a de minimis provision in relation to cy-près; I hope that that satisfies my hon. Friend.
In amendment No. 101, the hon. Member for Cheltenham is contradicting his own wise words, because he is transferring the onus. If someone gives money to a certain appeal, but the money is to be used for a completely different—albeit worthy—charitable purpose, it is fair enough that the person giving money to the appeal should know that, and should be offered the chance to make a declaration saying that that cannot happen. That is the long and the short of what the provision does.