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Charities Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 16:"Page 48, line 31, leave out ““and (7)”” and insert ““to (7A)””" The noble Lord said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No 16 I shall also speak to Amendments Nos. 24 to 32, which are grouped with it. These amendments fulfil the undertaking I think I gave the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, on Report on 18 October, to consider in consultation with him a number of concerns he had about the operation of the merger provisions in Clause 44. The noble Lord pointed out that the Bill, as drafted, contained measures that meant a merger in which a vesting declaration is used does not need to be notified to the commission. He argued that the vesting declaration was a novel and powerful piece of legal machinery, the use of which ought to be notified so that it would be registered by the commission. We accept the argument, so one effect of these amendments, in particular Amendment No. 24, is to require notification to the commission of any merger in which a vesting declaration is used. That notification will then trigger registration of the merger by the commission. I could go into more detail related to the amendments, but I am not sure it is entirely necessary. I am sure both noble Lords will understand where we are trying to go with this. It reflects our earlier discussions and debates. I beg to move. On Question, Amendment agreed to.