Press release

Red tape kept to a minimum for charities with ‘exempt status’

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd has announced that charitable foundation and voluntary schools and sixth form colleges will have exempt status.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd has announced that charitable Foundation and Voluntary schools and Sixth Form Colleges will, subject to Parliamentary approval, be re-conferred with exempt status.

In addition, the Secretary of State for Education will be appointed as Principal Regulator of academies, sixth form colleges and foundation and voluntary schools in England.

The Welsh Assembly government will be appointed as Principal Regulator of foundation and voluntary schools in Wales.

Exempt status means that these charities will not register with or report to the Charity Commission.

This move aims to make the regulation of these charities proportionate by ensuring that they have a Principal Regulator to promote charity law compliance.  The alternative to re-conferring exempt status and appointing a Principal Regulator would be for these charities to register with and report to the Charity Commission, in addition to their existing accounting and reporting obligations. 

The full Written Ministerial Statement is available.

Published 1 April 2011