Combating Fraudulent Charity Collections

EDM number 44 in 2000-01, proposed by Adrian Sanders on 06/12/2000.

That this House believes that urgent action is needed to deal with fraudulent charity collections, that the existing law does not prevent the registration of crooked charities, and that the official advice on how to prevent fraudulent collections on private premises is ineffective; notes that the Dundee Report to the Scottish Executive, published in June 2000, contains many essential lessons for the better administration of charitable collections outwith as well as inside Scotland, including its warning to owners of premises against the common reliance on a charity number and headed notepaper when considering whether a proposed collection is in order, its finding that charities commonly refuse to help police with their enquiries, and its suggestion that charities cannot be relied upon to police themselves; further notes that the many signs of support for the charity check system, including a written statement of opinion in the National Assembly for Wales signed by a majority of backbenchers, a motion passed unanimously by the London Assembly, welcoming the support already shown for the Charity Check system by licensing authorities and retail managers, endorsements from many eminent institutions, including the British Retail Consortium, the Guild of Management Consultants, the London Voluntary Service Council and the continued use of the system by some leading retailers which has prevented many fraudulent collections; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to investigate a non-legislative solution along the lines of the Charity Check system to reduce fraudulent charity collections.

This motion has been signed by a total of 62 MPs.