The chief executives of four umbrella bodies have written to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee to express concerns about the process of appointing the new chair of the Charity Commission.
A letter signed by the chief executives of Acevo, Bond, Navca, the Charity Finance Group and the Directory of Social Change raises concerns about the process and ask the committee what steps it is taking to ensure that the appointment has been made in line with the governance code on public appointments.
The minister for civil society, Tracey Crouch, has said in Parliament that correct process was followed, in response to questions from the Labour MP, Jon Trickett.
Earlier today the former chief executive of the Charity Commission, Andrew Hind, published an open letter to the chair of the committee, which is due to hold a pre-appointment hearing with Baroness Stowell, the government’s preferred candidate, this morning.
Stowell is a former leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons and has said she will stand down from the Conservative Party and sit as an independent peer if her appointment is confirmed.
The letter was sent to the committee on 9 February. The signatories have decided not to make the full content of the letter public.
Vicky Browning, chief executive of Acevo, said: “We would like to emphasise that our concerns about this appointment are not personal and we will work constructively with whichever candidate holds the post of chair of the Charity Commission.
“However, an effective Charity Commission is essential to the ability of charities to deliver their work for the benefit of the public. To be effective, it must equally have the trust and confidence of the public, the state and the sector it regulates. It is therefore only right that we seek further information and assurance about our concerns.”
NCVO has previously called for reform of the process, and in 2015 published a number of proposals to give Parliament, rather than the government, a greater say in the process. It is not a signatory to the joint letter, but has sent the committee a briefing ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.
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