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Charities Bill [HL]

I have been impressed by the debate and I have listened carefully to the arguments. The noble Lord, Lord Best, has quoted what I said at Second Reading. My concern then was, and to some extent still is, that as we talk about public benefit we think solely of people who are poor or disadvantaged. In my view, that would be too narrow a notion of public benefit—even for the relatively narrow definition of charitable status which the noble Lord, Lord Best, has used. I do not rise to speak against the amendment, which the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, called a cautious amendment—an amendment which does not go too far—but I would be concerned if an atmosphere were to be conveyed by this debate to the Charity Commission that public benefit is limited to those who are disadvantaged. In my view, there could be public benefit in supporting, for example, the highly gifted in certain areas, or those with special talents. That is why I am still slightly concerned about the tone of the debate more than about the specific amendment.