Clause 63
Charities Bill [Lords]
10:00 am
Martin Horwood (Shadow Minister (Environment), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Cheltenham, Liberal Democrat)
Amendment No. 153 is consequential on amendment No. 154, which seeks to leave out the words “or (b)” that refer to subsection (1)(b), which deals with regulations that the Secretary of State may make
“for the purpose of regulating the conduct of public charitable collections”.
We do not seek to delete the paragraph—it is an important part of the structure of the clause as a whole—but we seek to remove the reference in subsection (4) to its generality not being restricted by anything else in the clause. In effect, the amendment would restrict the power of the Secretary of State to make regulations willy-nilly in whatever way he chose.
Although we trust that the Secretary of State and his parliamentary colleagues are generous souls, it seems that subsections (2) and (3) set out a comprehensive and legitimate list of the matters that may be prescribed by regulation, and the provisions that may be made. They refer to such sensible things as the areas in which the appeal can be conducted, the keeping of accounts and the prevention of annoyance to the public. I question whether the Secretary of State needs much wider powers, as granting them makes almost superfluous the powers granted in subsections (2) and (3).