Charity u-turn

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has welcomed signs of a u-turn on plans to charge charities £200 a time to host events like church fundraisers, village fetes and bring-and-buy sales.

The Scottish Government had planned to remove the exemption for charitable and voluntary organisations from licence fees for events in the forthcoming Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill.

Removing the exemption would mean that community and fundraising events would need to have a market operator’s licence, issued by the local authority.

While such a licence varies in cost between local authorities, the average fee is already around £200.

But Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has now indicated that he may be prepared to reverse the plans after an outcry from charities and community groups.

Mr McNeil said: "I believe this legislation would have serious repercussions for charitable and community organisations, particularly those at the grassroots level, as the obligation to spend several hundred pounds on a licence takes money from local good causes and may lead to people abandoning local volunteer fundraising altogether.

“So I am pleased that the justice secretary appears to have listened to the strong voices of opposition in these proposals, which would have to levied an unnecessary financial burden on these valued groups who do so much in our community.

“But I will not stop pressing the Scottish Government until we are certain that this threat to charities and community groups is lifted.”

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/12/17115522