Debate contribution: Charities (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Kellie Armstrong on 23 June 2026.

MLA

Ms Kellie Armstrong

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

23 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Charities (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5636773

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of the Charities (Amendment) Bill on behalf of the Alliance Party and to reflect on the important progress that has been made since the consultation phase by the Department. At its heart, the Bill is about getting the balance right. It recognises the vital contribution that charities and voluntary organisations make across Northern Ireland, often stepping in where statutory services cannot. It seeks to ensure that the regulatory framework supporting them is both robust and proportionate. I am pleased that the Department has taken account of the consultation responses that it received on the Bill. The outcome of the consultation recognised that, while transparency and accountability are essential, the existing system can at times place unnecessary administrative burdens on charities, particularly the smaller, volunteer-led organisations. Those burdens can divert time, energy and resources away from front-line services that the community and the Assembly depend on. As I said, the Bill responds constructively to the concerns raised by consultees. It introduces sensible amendments to improve the functioning of the Charity Commission, to provide greater clarity in decision-making and to ensure that charitable organisations are treated fairly and consistently. Importantly, it also aims to rebuild confidence in the regulatory system, both for charities themselves and for the public who support them. The Bill will provide a system where charities are supported to thrive, innovate and respond to need while still operating within a framework that guarantees appropriate oversight. We must remember that the strength of Northern Ireland's voluntary and community sector lies in its diversity, from large regional organisations to small local groups rooted deeply in their communities. Any legislative framework must be flexible enough to reflect that diversity, and the Bill certainly moves us closer to that goal. However, legislation alone is not enough. Effective implementation and ongoing engagement with the sector will be key, and it is vital that the Charity Commission operates with transparency, proportionality and responsiveness going forward. I have a few questions that, I hope, the Minister may be able to address during his winding-up speech, and those will highlight the types of things that I will be bringing forward when, as I expect it will, the Bill goes to Committee Stage. Page 2, line 14, relating to official warnings by the commission, updates the Charities Act 2008 by confirming that warnings can be issued by post. I am confused about just "by post". Surely, to future-proof the legislation, it should be considered that warnings be able to be issued digitally. I move on to page 3, lines 8 and 9, where clause 4 is set out, and page 4, line 11, where clause 6 is set out. The Bill contains a reference to the Charity Commission having the power to remove a person from their employment. I appreciate that, if anyone has been involved in wrongdoing, they should not be permitted to continue in that role, however it would be helpful to understand how the Charity Commission can sack an employee when it is not the employer. The contract of employment will be between the employee and the charity that they are employed by. What powers does the Charity Commission have that negate pre-existing employment laws? I am also surprised — I know that it was not in the recommendations — that the Bill does not take the opportunity to clarify, when the Charity Commission vests property, who then owns the property. Does it become the property of the Charity Commission? During the previous mandate, the then Committee for Communities, which I sat on, heard allegations — I have to say that they were allegations because we as a Committee could not investigate them — that property vested by the Charity Commission that was reportedly worth a significant amount of money was not accounted for. It would have been useful to set out how vested property is handled by the Charity Commission. It would be useful to hear from the Minister about what happens when clause 11 takes effect and the Charities Act is amended to repeal section 167. Does that mean that charities that operate in Northern Ireland but that have their headquarters elsewhere will now have to register in Northern Ireland or will their charity registration from elsewhere in the UK be accepted? Prior to coming to the Assembly, I worked, for many years, for a section 167 charity, the Community Transport Association (CTA). It would be useful to that organisation, and others like it, to know whether the Department will inform funding bodies that the organisation can apply for grants in Northern Ireland if it is not required to re-register here. The Minister may be able to clarify the next issue quite quickly. Why is clause 12(2), which is at page 6, line 25 of the Bill, amending the Charities Act to remove a reference to the Department for Communities by omitting the words "for Communities"? Does that mean that any Department can make regulations on which charities are exempt from regulation? It is a simple change, but I would like to know how that will work. Finally, will the Minister confirm that the commencement provision in clause 13(2), which is at page 6, lines 33 and 34, will happen well in advance of a financial year in order to enable charities to be ready for change? I expect the Bill to pass its Second Stage easily today and go to the Committee for Communities for scrutiny. I look forward to working with the Department, the Minister and my colleagues on the Committee to support the legislation's timely delivery in this mandate.

939 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification