§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current remuneration of the chair of the Charity Commission; how often he meets representatives of the Charity Commission; and who sets the Charity Commission's terms of reference. [25251]
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Charity Commission is a non-ministerial department whose powers and duties are set out in the Charities Act 1993. The head of the department is the Chief Charity Commissioner who, with his fellow commissioners, is appointed by, and accountable for, the commission's general efficiency to my right hon. and learned Friend. The post of Chief Charity Commissioner is currently held by Mr. Richard Fries, appointed by the then Home Secretary in 1992. His current salary is £69,783 per annum. He, other commissioners and commission staff meet Ministers to discuss particular topics when the occasion requires.
366WAs explained by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minster in answer to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Atkinson) on 1 April, Official Report, column 1, ministerial responsibility in relation to the Charity Commission is being transferred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage as soon as the necessary financial and other arrangements can be made.