The Charities Act 2006 contains a provision requiring it to be reviewed and reported on by the Government within five years of its implementation. On 8 November 2011 Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, announced that Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (President of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Chairman of the Armed Forces Charities Advisory Company and a trustee of Fair Trials International), will lead a full review of the law relating to charities in England and Wales.
The terms of reference of the review provide that the aim of the review is twofold:
1. to report on the operation and effectiveness of the provisions of the 2006 Act; and
2. to consider whether further changes could be made to improve the legal and regulatory framework for charities.
Lord Hodgson will be interviewing representatives of the charity sector and other interested parties. It is expected that he will report on the findings of his review to Parliament by the summer 2012.
We will be providing a more detailed commentary on the scope and possible implications of the review in due course.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
