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Public charitable collections

Regulation of street collections

Public charitable collections in the street are regulated under the Police, Factories Etc Act 1916 (Miscellaneous Provisions).

There is a model of local regulations in the Charitable Collections Order 1974 (Transitional Provisions), though local authorities are not obliged to introduce this system of licensing in their area.

Regulation of house-to-house collections

Public charitable collections conducted house-to-house are regulated by the House to House Collections Act 1939 and the House to House Collections Regulations 1947. The 1947 regulations  established a central licensing regime for collections.

Licensing on collections

The Local Government Act 1972 transferred responsibility for licensing both forms of collection from the police to local authorities.

In London, however, the Metropolitan Police and the Common Council of the City of London are still responsible for licensing of collections.

National exemption order scheme

Under current law, the Minister for the Cabinet Office is responsible for the national exemption order scheme for house-to-house collections.

Organisations can generally obtain national exemption orders if they have house-to-house collection licences in at least 70–100 local authority licensing areas for the two preceding years. There are currently 43 national exemption order holders.

Appeals

Organisations can appeal to the Minister for the Cabinet Office if a local authority refuses them a licence to hold a house-to-house collection or if they revoke such a licence. The Cabinet Office processes these appeals.

In the case of street collections, there is currently no equivalent right of appeal. The Charities Act 2006 contains provision for a new licensing scheme for public charitable collections, but these provisions are not yet in force.