Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of regulatory burden on charities.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Proportionate and balanced regulation of charities is key to helping the sector deliver the vital work that it does. The Charities Act 2022, which gained Royal Assent in February 2022, implemented Law Commission recommendations to reform a number of processes in charity law. No formal impact assessment has yet been undertaken into the level of regulatory burden on charities, but in line with Government practice DCMS intends to conduct a post-Implementation review of the Charities Act 2022 by February 2027.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce proposals to ease regulatory pressures on charity trustees and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for charities.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Charities Act 2022, which gained Royal Assent in February 2022, implemented Law Commission recommendations to reform a number of processes in charity law. These include how charities can change their governing documents, sell land, make better use of permanent endowment funds, and merge with other charities.
The Act should reduce unnecessary or burdensome regulation that increases the sector’s costs and discourages people from volunteering to become trustees, whilst preserving important safeguards. The Law Commission’s recommendations are estimated to deliver savings for charities of £28m over a ten year period.
DCMS officials continue to review the charities’ legislative framework to ensure that regulation is balanced and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impacts of safeguarding regulation and guidance on charities; and whether they have conducted a formal impact assessment recently.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Proper safeguarding is a key governance priority for all charities and is core to the delivery of frontline services that charities provide. No formal impact assessment has been undertaken into the impacts of safeguarding regulation and guidance on charities.
The Charity Commission has published guidance for charities which helps charities understand their safeguarding responsibilities. The Government has also published an online safeguarding tool designed to help charities handle safeguarding allegations.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Charities Act 2022 on the work of charity trustees and on the ability of charities to maximise the benefits that their charity delivers.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A post-implementation review will be conducted and published three to five years after Royal Assent, in line with usual Government practice. DCMS intends to conduct a post-Implementation review of the Charities Act 2022 by February 2027.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commence and implement the remaining parts of the Equality Act 2010, including section 36, to place a duty on landlords to make reasonable adjustments to common areas for the benefit of disabled people.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
We are committed to protecting the rights of individuals against unlawful discrimination, and ensuring the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) protects everyone.
That is why we have committed to commence the Act’s uncommenced dual discrimination provision and the socio-economic duty.
We are considering the currently uncommenced duty to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold properties at Section 36 of the Act.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a response to the consultation carried out in June 2022 on "Improving disabled people’s access to let residential premises: reasonable adjustments to common parts, a new duty".
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is considering its response to the 2022 consultation and will make an announcement in due course.