The attorney general has approved the Charity Commission’s request to refer an ongoing issue with the governance of the Royal Albert Hall to the Charity Tribunal.
Last autumn the Commission sought the permission of the attorney general, Jeremy Wright QC, to refer a number of issues to the Charity Tribunal.
The Commission has been engaging with the Royal Albert Hall over a number of years about concerns about 19 of 25 its ruling council being seatholders at the hall. This means they can sell tickets privately at inflated prices, under the hall’s Royal Charter which dates back to the 1860s.
This has led to questions about whether trustees are perceived to benefit financially from their role.
The issue was initially brought up with the Commission in 2009 and an implementation plan was drawn up. In 2012 a Times investigation accused two trustees of pocketing more than £100,000 a year by selling tickets at inflated prices.
The Commission has previously accused the charity of being “unwilling” to address the issue.
It also said that the decision to refer the case to the Tribunal was “unprecedented”. Powers enabling the Commission to refer cases to the Tribunal were introduced in the Charities Act 2006.
A spokeswoman for the Commission said: “We are pleased that the attorney general has agreed that these matters can be heard by the Tribunal and has given consent for the Commission to bring reference proceedings. This is a long running issue which we hope the Tribunal will be able to assist in resolving. We will now work to prepare the appropriate application to be submitted to the Charity Tribunal.”
Royal Albert Hall 'disappointed'
The Royal Albert Hall said it was disappointed and accused the Comission of refusing to meet it, but said it will co-operate with the process.
A spokesman for the Royal Albert Hall said: "The Royal Albert Hall was disappointed to hear that the Charity Commission has taken this route. Over many years, the Hall has engaged in a meaningful way to resolve what is a complex set of issues, however the Commission has chosen to refuse to meet us, whilst pursuing what will be a costly and drawn out route. The Hall has a full programme of events and has just seen the most successful opening of a Cirque du Soleil show, Ovo, which runs until March 2018.
"Whilst we will, of course, co-operate with this process, our focus will remain on entertaining audiences and enhancing our considerable charitable activities. Our unique structure and self-funding operating model, which requires no regular government subsidy, enables us to evolve our Grade I listed building and continue our charitable outreach work that benefits and touches many hundreds of thousands of people in our communities every year."
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