• Latest News
• Our policy positions
  • Cancer Strategy
  • Prevention policy
  • Clinical Policy
  • Research Policy
  • Charity Policy
    • Charity law reform
    • Draft Charities Bill (UK)
    • Scottish Charities Bill
    • Tax Relief
    • Bogus Fundraising
    • Unclaimed assets
    • Gift Aid
    • Payroll Giving
    • Promoting volunteering
  • Health and Cancer Inequalities Policy
  • Consultations
  • Symptom awareness and early diagnosis
• Working with Government
• The National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI)
• Contact Us
• Smokefree N.Ireland
• Smokefree Wales

Briefing: draft Charities and Trustee Investment Bill (Scotland)

The draft Charities and Trustee Investment Bill (Scotland) was published in June 2004.

Cancer Research UK Scotland responded to the consultation on the principles of the draft Bill, launched by the Scottish Executive.

About the Bill

The Bill sets out to modernise charity law in Scotland, defines a charity for the first time in Scots Law, and establishes the operation of a regulator, the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR) as an independent statutory body.

It provides enhanced powers for OSCR and the courts to investigate and take action to prevent misconduct in the operation of charities and to protect their funds.

As well as improving the regulation of fundraising, it will also define the duties of charity trustees, something never set out in Scots Law before.

What we think

Cancer Research UK Scotland strongly supports the implementation of the legislation as soon as possible. We believe the Bill would help to secure public confidence in the value of charities.

We also endorse the response to this consultation from the Association of Charity Shops, which has called for a mechanism to enable the prosecution of bogus stock collections.