Charities Bill [HL]

I wish strongly to support the amendment. The previous legislation, starting with the 1601 Act, which merely stated purposes but did not enact law, went pretty wide. It is remarkable that it lasted for all those years from 1601 to 1958; if I may say so, I had some responsibility for helping to pilot   the 1958 Act. Since then, the legislation has always kept the purpose of charitable donation and establishment in very wide terms. But now we find that there is an attempt to pin it down to the specific purposes mentioned in Clause 2(2), under the heading of ““charitable purpose””. The Government, no doubt trying very hard, have attempted to list all the charitable purposes that could arise. But, as the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, has pointed out, it does not contain what he has suggested it should contain; namely,"““the advancement of the effectiveness and welfare of the armed forces of the Crown””." Therefore I hope that the Government will realise that they have a left a gap which simply must be filled.