The reason for this new Act of consolidation is that charity legislation has long been criticised for being disparate and hard to understand; a new Act that consolidates charities legislation in one place was seen by the Government as a way of making charity law more accessible to the general public and third-sector organisations.
Although the new Act does not change the law, during 2012 Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts will lead a review that will consider substantive changes to the law.
Lord Hodgson has been appointed by the Cabinet Office to undertake the statutory review of the Charities Act 2006, and consider whether further changes to the legal and regulatory framework for charities are desirable. In a recent statement about the review, Lord Hodgson said: “I start the Review with a blank sheet of paper and am looking to have the widest possible consultation before reaching any conclusions.”