MP to present new charity Bill in Parliament

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones, who co-chairs  the All Party Parliament Group for Charities and Volunteering , will today present the Charity Trustees (Time Off for Duties) Bill to Parliament.

The 10 Minute Rule Bill seeks to amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to give charity trustees the right to time off work for the purposes of carrying out the duties of that office and for connected purposes.

Ms Jones (pictured) who worked for charities for 15 years before becoming an MP, will say in her speech: “The Charity Trustees (Time Off for Duties) Bill has two clear purposes. The first is to value our existing charity trustees by giving them an improved status in law. The second is to provide the sort of support that might encourage a greater number of people from a wider diversity of backgrounds to take on this important but unpaid civic duty."

Speaking about her Bill, the MP said: “Charity trustees do hugely important work in our communities and I think it’s high time they were treated the same as school governors, councillors, magistrates and others when it comes to being able to have a modest amount of unpaid time off to fulfil their duties.

"I am delighted that MPs from Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem parties are co-sponsoring this Bill and that it has won the support of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), the Small Charities Coalition and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action."