Charities Bill [HL]

We had an interesting debate in Grand Committee on this proposal. I went back to read the closing remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Hodgson, after the Minister had spoken. He said that the Charity Commission should have a proactive, facilitatory and helpful role. I agree about the facilitatory and helpful role, but the noble Lord has not let go unnoticed that general function 2, a few lines above where his amendment would be inserted on page 6, refers to:"““Encouraging and facilitating the better administration of charities””," which seems perfectly reasonable. Clause 24, which the noble Lord has not mentioned, refers to the power of the Charity Commission to give advice and guidance, which I should have thought was a useful supplementary role, and which is given special mention. However, I doubt whether it is the job of the Charity Commission—a regulatory body, as the noble Lord agrees that it is—to go further than being helpful and become proactive. I know that the noble Lord wants the Charity Commission to be proactive in various respects, but I think that being proactive—which must mean promoting charities—is not a suitable job for the Charity Commission, so I doubt whether we should pass the amendment.