The voluntary sector and the public are being asked to comment on proposals that would give the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) wider powers to investigate organisations and their trustees.
The Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill contains a number of clauses that would give OSCR more legislative strength – including tighter rules on who can be a charity trustee or senior office-holder.
With the bill not due to go before MSPs until next year, the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee is scrutinising its content – and wants comments from “all charities, no matter their size”.
The additional powers in the bill were proposed by OSCR and would update the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, by which it was established.
They include:
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Giving OSCR wider powers to investigate charities and charity trustees.
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Amending the rules on who can be a charity trustee or a senior office-holder in a charity.
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Increasing the information that OSCR holds about charity trustees.
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Updating the information which needs to be included on the Scottish Charity Register.
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Creating a record of charities that have merged.
Some of the changes are intended to ensure Scottish legislation is in line with updated legislation in England and Wales.
The committee said it wanted to understand what impact the changes in the bill might have and was giving people the option of responding via a detailed consultation or a short survey.
Natalie Don, convener of the committee, said: “Charities are a cornerstone of public life in Scotland, with millions of people across the country supporting or benefitting from their work.
“It is important that the public can have faith in the often vital work that they do. We’re keen to understand the extent to which the bill might strengthen that faith.”
Don added: “We also want to understand what administrative impact the bill might place on charities and their trustees.
“We understand that many people volunteer for charities and we want to know how these changes might impact on the way that they are able to perform these roles.
“There are more than 25,000 charities in Scotland and we would like anybody who has a role working or volunteering for one to share their views on the bill, either by completing the detailed call for views, or the shorter survey.”
The survey and consultations will close on Friday 3 February 2023. The committee will then undertake several public evidence sessions before producing a report in the spring.