Clause 63
Charities Bill [Lords]
10:15 am
Edward Miliband (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Cabinet Office; Doncaster North, Labour)
Believe it or not, Donald Rumsfeld is able to help us. He talked a few years ago about known unknowns. He said that we know that there are some things that we do not know. The hon. Member for Cheltenham asks a legitimate question. He wants to know what it is that might not be contained in subsections (2) or (3) for which the Secretary of State would want to prescribe regulations. The truth is that we do not know. If we knew, it would be included. The question is therefore why we need the power.
The hon. Gentleman was formerly involved in the process of public fundraising, if not as an “Ã1/4berchugger” as I alleged earlier. He will know that we need the power because the way in which public fundraising takes place is rapidly changing. For instance, direct debit fundraising essentially did not exist 10 years ago. The only reason for these provisions is that they provide for flexibility in the prescribed regulations, so that if the process of public fundraising changes and it is thought to be necessary to take action in order to preserve public confidence on matters that fall outside subsections (2) and (3), we will have the flexibility to do so without recourse to primary legislation.
As I say, I cannot describe the ways in which public fundraising might evolve, or what regulations might be necessary; if I could, they would be defined in subsections (2) and (3). I know that that makes life rather difficult, but even if my observations included mention of Donald Rumsfeld, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will withdraw the amendment.