Bernard Jenkin, chair of the Public Administration Select Committee, has said if the charitable sector "cannot get its act together" on self-regulation of fundraising, it will recommend that government bring in legislation to allow the Charity Commission to take action.

Jenkin made the comment at a PASC hearing where Lord Hodgson gave evidence on his review of the Charities Act 2006. 

MPs addressed the issue of self-regulation of fundraising, with Charlie Elphicke especially criticising the practice of chugging as "aggressive and systematic harassment of the public".

“Two-thirds of people want action,” Elphicke said. “But there has been the complete failure of the Charity Commission to use powers under the 2006 Act." 

Lord Hodgson told MPs that he had given the FRSB a six-month window to address the “confused self-regulatory landscape for fundraising”, with other sector bodies, and asked them to agree a united front to deliver one body to cover all aspects of fundraising.

Lord Hodgson said that as guardian of the sector the Charity Commission should take an interest, and said he believed the fundraising sector was starting to "get it". 

He did concede there was an issue with street fundraising affecting the business community: “If a chugger is outside my shop people will cross over. There is an impact on business and community.”

Ending the discussion on the regulation of fundraising, Jenkin suggested that government should set a deadline and if the charity sector did not get its act together on a voluntary basis it would be reasonable to recommend that government bring into force provisions to allow the Charity Commission to take action.