§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to ensure that funds raised by charity collections go to the intended charities. [32549]
§ Mr. MichaelPublic charitable collections are regulated by the Police. Factories, etc. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1916, the House to House Collections Act 1939 and associated regulations, which provide that the local authority is responsible for granting licenses to organisations proposing to carry out collections. In London, the licensing authority is the Metropolitan Police or City of London Police. The Home Secretary has the discretion to issue Orders of Exemption to charities conducting house to house collections widely throughout England and Wales.
Part II of the Charities Act 1992, which came into effect on 1 March 1995, contains important controls in relation to professional and commercial involvement in charitable fund-raising.
The Charity Commission is responsible for the oversight of individual charities in England and Wales. It has powers under the Charities Act 1993 to investigate abuse where it appears that funds raised for charitable causes may be at risk and to remedy the misconduct and enforce the proper use of a charity's funds. The 130W Commission itself does not have power to carry out prosecutions; this is a matter for the police.
The Commission is currently reviewing its own strategy for dealing with fund-raising concerns and is actively examining ways in which fund-raising abuse can be more effectively prevented.