Clause 67
Charities Bill [Lords]
1:00 pm
Edward Miliband (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Cabinet Office; Doncaster North, Labour)
This had been a good-tempered Committee until the hon. Member for Isle of Wight launched a scathing attack on the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood) through his comments on the professional middle classes, but I am sure that good humour will prevail eventually.
I shall talk briefly to amendments Nos. 128 and 131. The first seems like it was discussed a long time ago by the hon. Member for Isle of Wight. I hope to reassure him by pointing out that there is an offence suchas the amendment proposes under section 60(9) ofthe Charities Act 1992. The commission is not a prosecuting authority in that or any other respect, but his amendment would make it so by giving the commission the ability to initiate criminal proceedings. That would constitute a significant change in its role. As I said, the criminal offence exists and it is for the commission to draw offences to the attention of the police and for the Crown Prosecution Service to authorise a prosecution where appropriate.