Written question asked by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Wednesday, 30 April 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 May 2003. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 May 2003 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the review of the Charity Commission has to give additional assistance to trustees of charities in fulfilling their obligations.

Answer: Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the review of the Charity Commission has to give additional assistance to trustees of charities in fulfilling their obligations. [111544] Beverley Hughes: The Strategy Unit Report, Private Action, Public Benefit set out a package of recommendations to modernise charity law, to improve the range of legal forms available to charities and social enterprises, to develop greater accountability and transparency in the voluntary and community sector and to ensure independent, open and proportionate regulation of the sector. The Charity Commission, as the regulator of charities, has responsibility at present for providing a wide range of advice to charity trustees. The Strategy Unit report recommends that the Charity Commission's advisory role should be defined in statute to give a clearer focus on regulatory issues. Implementation of the recommendation would empower the Charity Commission to concentrate its resources more on providing advice to trustees to enable them to comply with their responsibilities under charity and trust law.

Secondary information